Evanston Environment Board Packet Feb 11 2010

Evanston Environment Board Quorum Present
7:00 p.m. Room 2200
Lorraine H. Morton Center
2100 Ridge Ave.
Thursday January 14, 2010
Board Chairs: Susan Besson, Paige Finnegan
Board Members Present: Kevin Glynn, Suzanne Waller, Dan Cox. Daniel
Biss, , Gemariah Borough, Anne Viner, Susan
Kaplan, Gemariah Borough, Eli A. Port,
Board Members Absent: Elizabeth Kinney, Edward J. McCall, William
Gallagher,
Community Members Present: Craig Garfield, Amy Morton, Ellen King, Nancy
Sreenan, Steve Pincuspy, Don Garfield, Marcelo
Ferrer, Sarea Ferrer, Erin Garfield, Craig
Garfield, Lou Dickson
Staff Present: Carl Caneva Health and Human Services
Meeting was called to order by Chair Finnegan at 7:07P.M.
I. Approval of Minutes from December
S. Besson motioned to approve the minutes, minutes passes unanimously
I. News (10 minutes)
a. Green Building Ordinance
Chair Finnegan updated the Committee regarding the Green Building
Ordinance, it passed 8-1
Committee will contact community members regarding presenting a guide for the
website. Document intended to be: “Easy tips for green remodeling.” FAQ for
next meeting a draft will be presented to the committee Anne Viner will take the
lead
b. Wind Farm Updates
Mayor Tisdahl was sent a letter asking for endorsement of Wind Farms no
response at this time.
C. Collopy will draft an RFI for Contractors
c. Other News/ Update
A question was raised about a CARE grant for community justice. If the city
moves forward it is recommended attempting to achieve level 2.
Breakfast for Citizens for Greener Evanston Thursday January 22, 2010
Monday January 26, 2010 BASE will present Green Restaurants. Green Chicago
restaurant Co-op. They formed together to purchase green products for
businesses. 6:30-8:30 at Great Harvest Bread Company on Central st.
II. Amending the By-Laws
Motion to amend Article 4 Section two to read odd years by K. Glynn seconded
by E. Port, motion withdrawn
Discussion by board regarding co-chair issue and further issues of meeting
Motion to amend Article 4 Section 1 to add or a single chair if the board so votes
motioned by A. Viner seconded by D. Cox passed unanimously
Motion to amend entire document where chairperson replace with co-
chair/chairperson passed unanimously
IV. Backyard Chickens
Craig Garfield presented the committee with information regarding the proposed
backyard Chicken ord. There is an article in this months urban gardener
magazine. The ord. prior to 1974. They have adapted the Bee ordinance to
address the issues with regards to the chickens.
Question from Chair Finnegan to C. Caneva regarding if this was a stand alone
ordinance
C. Caneva explained the process of moving the ordinance forward
S. Besson asked for further clarification on issues raised by CARE. Specifically
what happens to unwanted chickens
Mr. Garfield stated the ordinance specifically states no slaughtering, he indicated
the issue regarding older chickens would not be dissimilar to current practices
with pets
The Red Door is a non kill animal shelter that may provide assistance with
unwanted chickens
S. Waller asked the average life span Mr. Garfileld stated 8-10 years and the
laying potential is 4-5 years.
E. Port stated he is pro-chicken, he is concerned the ordinance may not be
complete. There is no enforcement of violation of this ordinance. What would
prevent someone to hatch their own eggs? He questioned $10.00 for inspection
and license and was concerned it would not cover the City’s costs. He asked for
the birds to be banded and to have appropriate vaccinations. He also asked for
the birds to be sexed, have an appropriate coop, and have a balanced diet, in
place of scraps.
It was proposed to give additional eggs to shelters or the Farmers Market
E. Port stated he was concerned about the hazard to small pets and small
children and may attract nuisance. E. Port stated that he would provide the
committee with a list of concerns at the next meeting.
Mr. Garfield stated the enforcement for the dogs and cats would be reviewed, to
find out if it was applicable here
A. Viner asked if other municipalities had addressed the issues that E. Port
asked, the general consensus was no.
A. Viner asked if a neighbor became distraught by the chicken what is the
recourse, how are issued handled.
Ellen King stated the issues with chickens with less than dogs.
Amy Morton identified issues to the nuisance code, the typical issues addressed
are number, space from property etc.
S. Waller asked if bunny hutches are permitted
C. Caneva stated preliminary responses from the building department stated
there would not be a permit required, and yes bunny hutches are permitted
Ellen King stated there are sites out there that give blueprints to construct coops
and some are ready made.
E. Port asked to find recent ordinances that may have been repealed. He also
stated a concern regarding the quality of feed for the chickens.
Debbi Hillman stated she met with the City Manager and he stated he had not
heard an uproar regarding this issue.
D. Biss asked about feeding requirements for the animals why would we get
involved in the diets of feed. E. Port stated that Salmonella can be an issue
when commercial diets are fed.
Marcelo Ferrer stated no evidence of literature about salmonella being
propagated by commercial feed
Chair Finnegan asked why slaughter is prohibited.
Ellen King stated the reason is for the general public not to see the actual
slaughter
She also stated there are butchers that can be used to slaughter the chickens
In Section D4, Chair Besson, asked about other building, gazebos, and their
proximity to the coops
C. Caneva stated he had spoken with the Zoning Department they preferred
building rather than lot line, with regards to locating the coops
C. Caneva will request a written opinion
S. Besson asked about the licensing cost the committee stated
C. Caneva stated that rather than have a higher cost to the application the
applicant would register with the department of agriculture, HHS would go out on
a complaint basis only
D. Biss questioned how the issue of uncared for animals would be handled.
Mr. Garfield stated they will volunteer to give advice and help to others
D. Cox asked what literature could be provided at the point of licensure
P. Finnegan directed Mr. Garfield to incorporate Whereas as well as the
amendments proposed
C. Finnegan thanked those presenting
V. IPM Ordinance
All mentions of natural lawncare was removed
Added clauses on training
FIFRA law requires testing of certain pesticides, no comments received by the City
of Evanston
S. Besson asked about the training element, the IPM or contractual firms to
provide education every 2 years.
rd
S. Pincuspy stated for IPM training there are 3 party certifications for pest
control. There is a cost.
S. Pincuspy presented documents from San Francisco’s identifying the least toxic
chemicals, also the state of NY has a website searchable for prohibited toxins. He
also provided the City of Seattle Pest Reduction Strategy
E. Port had concerns about adopting a list that is not from the state of Illinois or the
Federal Government is not a good idea.
S. Pincuspy stated FIFRA sets minimum standards for pesticides, states have the
ability to be stricter than the Federal Government. Many cities do not have the staff
or ability to perform research, the way that New York and California do.
E. Port questioned what the process of forming California’s list. Mr. Pincuspy
asked why is this a burden.
E. Port asked if the USEPA information not adequate for the ordinance’s purpose
A. Viner stated NY and CA were able to put more resources toward defining
unallowable.
S. Pincuspy stated this ordinance is not a ban on chemicals but their use on City of
Evanston property
Chair Finnegan stated the ordinance is a codification of City of Evanston practices
A. Viner stated the USEPA list was broad and vague
S. Pincuspy stated other municipalities have adopted
E. Port requested an amendment to Section 2 paragraph d) replace attract with
mitigate
Chair Finnegan asked why Section 7 would not follow section 4 and become
section 5 and renumbering. Request for consistency in Section d FIFRA in italics
Chair Finnegan motioned to recommend the IPM ordinance to the Human
Services Committee, seconded by S. Kaplan, motioned passed unanimously.
VI. EEB Strategic Plan
a. Code Review Update (Gem/ Kevin)
G. Burrough sent members a list about deconstruction, the focus should shift from
demolition to deconstruction
D. Cox recommended deconstruction as the first step in salvaging what can be
used of a demolished.
G. Burrough stated there needs to be a different mindset this is simply an
additional definition.
Lou Dickson spoke to the definition, she stated her concern was that this definition
is lacking teeth, and will make no difference
S. Besson stated the intent was not grow teeth but, rather to align with the Climate
Action Plan.
S. Besson asked what would the next action to take, with the potential for an
additional ordinance.
A. Viner requested that cautiously be removed from the section addressing
asbestos
It was requested that S. Kaplan provide her research on the issue
b. K. Glynn updated the Committee regarding the issue of solar there is a requirement
for appearance and materials. The ordinance does not allow white roofs or photovoltaic
cells. There is no right to light in the state of Illinois.
c. A. Viner has been on a call with the consortium of other North Shore members to
work on more regional issues. She offered information and assistance. There is a
proposal for goals and a mission statement in development. A. Viner stated Deerfield
was just beginning a similar Committee and asked for a copy of the bylaws
d. D. Cox stated there was an outreach call. He introduced the idea of a forum to
consolidate all the activity from all of the environmental groups and track it. Sharing of
stories and best practices. Creating a place on the city website, where there is an
online space for people to track their ideas.
The website could be used as a place to look for new ideas.
C. Caneva will research the issue of placing the website online.
D. Cox motioned to adjourn at 9:31pm passed unanimously.
VII. Roundtable Public Comment
NEXT MEETING – Feb. 11, 2010
Market Analysis of
Construction and Demolition
Material Reuse in the Chicago
Region
Rachel Weber, Susan Kaplan, and Hannah Sokol
College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs
Institute for Environmental Science and Policy
University of Illinois at Chicago
January 9, 2009
Commissioned by the Delta Institute and funded through a grant from the
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 6
Estimating the Size and Location of the Supply of C&D Materials 8
Existing Demand for C&D Materials 21
Potential Demand for a Reuse Facility in the City of Chicago 29
Market Barriers to Building Deconstruction and Material Reuse 36
Best Practices for Building Deconstruction and Material Reuse 40
Policy Incentives for Increasing Building Deconstruction and Building 49
Conclusion 57
Appendices 60
References 68
Tables and Figures
Table 1: Permits Issued by the Chicago Department of Buildings, 2005-2007 9
Table 2: C&D Materials Generated in Chicago, 2007 15
Table 3: Predicted Composition of C&D Debris in Chicago 16
Table 4: Table of Median Incomes of Cook County 17
Table 5: C&D Materials Generated from Construction and Demolition in Sample 19
of Chicago Suburbs, 2007
Table 6: Household Income, Cook County 2000 20
Table 7: Chicago Metropolitan Region Landfill Capacity 1996-2006 24
Figure 1: Map of Total Building, Renovation, and Demolition Permits by 11
Chicago Community Area, 2005-2007
Figure 2: Map of Declared Value of Residential Building and Renovation 12
Permits by Chicago Community Areas, 2005-2007
Figure 3: Map of Declared Value of Demolition Permits by Chicago Community 13
Area, 2005-2007
Figure 4: The Market for Construction and Demolition Materials 21
Figure 5: Landfills and Transfer Stations in Illinois EPA Region 2 23
Figure 6: Map of Chicago Community Areas with High Potential Demand for 32
Used Building Materials
Figure 7: Map of Cook County Municipalities with High Potential Demand for 35
Used Building Materials
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Executive Summary
We analyze the market for construction and demolition (C&D) material reuse in Chicago
in order to determine whether one or more reuse stores could be supported in the region.
We estimate the current size, composition, and geography of the supply and demand for
C&D material. We also identify obstacles to the reuse of C&D materials, discuss “best
practices” adopted in other parts of the country, and suggest public policies and market
practices that could increase deconstruction and demand for used C&D materials.
Throughout the study our focus is on building-related C&D materials, as opposed to
those generated by public infrastructure and roadway projects, and on those generated
from residential, as opposed to commercial, projects.
Using permit data and widely-accepted conversion algorithms, we estimate that the total
residential C&D materials generated in the city of Chicago in 2007 was approximately
742,305 tons, the bulk of which were generated from building renovation as opposed to
new construction or demolition. Suburban municipalities where household income or
environmental consciousness are high enough to make property owners there candidates
for deconstruction and building materials donations generated another 20,386 tons of
C&D materials in 2007 from construction and demolition only.
The primary sources of large-volume demand for these materials include landfills and
transfer stations as well as recycling facilities. As of January 1, 2007, there were 48
active, state-certified landfills in Illinois, nine of which were located in the Chicago
region. Eight of the nine active landfills reported decreased capacity, and the only one
reporting increased capacity accepts debris generated solely in Will County. There are
approximately 31 recycling and reclamation facilities for different kinds of C&D
materials located in the city of Chicago with another 40 located in other municipalities in
Cook County. Factors influencing whether C&D materials are recycled, reused, or
landfilled include the presence of well-developed secondary markets for the recycled by-
product (e.g., scrap metal, crushed-concrete fill), the degree to which the material can be
easily sorted, separated, and cleaned, and the existing regulatory environment. C&D
material reuse appears to be taking place only on a very small-scale (as part of higher-end
architectural and historical salvage operations) or on an informal basis.
To determine the potential demand for used building materials, we gathered information
from reuse stores in other parts of the country about their typical customers. The reuse
customer base is comprised primarily of those individuals who want to upgrade their
owner-occupied or investment properties, own older properties, are income-constrained,
and are recent immigrants. Based on this profile, we ranked communities within the
Chicago region on the basis of these indicators. Twenty-one Chicago Community Areas,
which clustered in three specific parts of the city, were identified as “hot spots” of
potential building material reuse. Several inner-ring and north-western suburbs were also
identified as areas of potentially strong demand. If even one percent of the declared
value and square footage for construction and renovation activity in these areas could
potentially be purchased used, this would create consumer demand of $3.5 million or 878
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
tons of used building materials. The Kansas City ReStore, a 35,000 square foot reuse
facility, conducted $1.6 million in sales activity, moving approximately 2,609 tons of
product in 2007. In order to generate the volume of materials necessary to support a
reuse store the size as the one in Kansas City, approximately 21 houses (at the suburban
average of 2,262 square feet), or ten percent of the number of demolitions conducted in
our sample suburbs, would need to be deconstructed. Combined, these measures lead us
to believe that a sufficient market currently exists to support reuse store roughly equal in
size to that of Kansas City conveniently located along a major arterial or expressway in
one of the three hot-spot clusters. Demand is likely to grow as environmental
consciousness grows, new building materials become more costly, and household
incomes (and therefore construction budgets) become increasingly constrained.
Despite current and potential demand, several barriers currently inhibit the development
of an active market for used C&D materials in the Chicago region. These include
relatively low tipping fees for regional landfills and transfer stations, the lack of a grading
system for used lumber, concerns about materials contamination, and the lack of
differentiation between demolition and deconstruction in the often lengthy permitting
process.
Local governments could do much to incent building deconstruction and the reuse of
salvaged materials – particularly by upgrading existing regulations and programs. For
example, the City of Chicago and other municipalities in the region could offer a new
deconstruction permit that would be quicker and less expensive to obtain than a
conventional demolition permit. Municipalities could also award points for
deconstruction and reuse activities in bids for public projects. Public requirements may
include restricting C&D debris from landfills, requiring pre-demolition salvage periods,
or requiring construction waste management plans for all demolition permits. Local
governments and the State of Illinois could also provide or support the education,
information exchange, and technical assistance necessary to build this market. This could
include providing a “waste exchange” service, model diversion ordinances, sample
specifications, and a waste management plan template; offering site visits to evaluate
diversion options; and conducting research on reuse options for hard-to-recycle
commodities.
Acknowledgements: The authors wish to thank the following individuals for their advice,
assistance, and insight: Yochai Eisenberg, Milan Kluko, Max Dieber, Nina Savar, Daniel
McMillen, Shoshana Lenski, Ben Nwigwe, Suzanne Lanyi Charles, Brian Alferman, Ted
Reiff, Dave Hampton, Julie Gevrenov, and Tom Napier.
4
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
About the Authors
Rachel Weber is an Associate Professor in the Urban Planning and Policy Program at the
University of Illinois at Chicago and is a nationally recognized expert in the field of real
estate finance, particularly the design and effectiveness of financial incentives for urban
redevelopment. Dr. Weber is the author of numerous articles and reports on financial
incentives, the most recent of which have focused on the increasing use of Tax Increment
Financing (TIF) in American cities. She has also conducted research into the incidence
of demolition and is working on a book manuscript that explores the connection between
overbuilding and obsolescence during the last commercial construction boom. Dr. Weber
has served as a consultant to local governments, developers, and community
organizations across the country on issues related to TIF, business retention and
attraction, and public finance. She received her master’s degree and doctorate in City and
Regional Planning from Cornell University and bachelor's degree from Brown
University.
Susan Kaplan develops and conducts research and outreach activities at the Institute for
Environmental Science and Policy at UIC, with a focus on brownfields, sustainable
development, environmental health, and waste reduction. Prior to coming to UIC, she
managed the brownfields program at the Rhode Island Economic Development
Corporation, where she applied for and administered brownfields assessment and cleanup
revolving loan fund grants from U.S. EPA, assisting borrowers and subgrantees in
meeting underwriting, community outreach, and environmental requirements for loans
and subgrants. She also conducted policy research, analysis and writing on brownfields
and sustainable development issues. Her report analyzing options for making
environmental insurance more accessible and affordable to developers was distributed to
all members of the Rhode Island General Assembly, and she wrote the application
nominating the winning project of the 2005 Phoenix Award for EPA Region 1. Prior to
the brownfields position, she served as assistant director of the Harvard Electricity Policy
Group at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and was a staff attorney developing
safety and health regulations in Washington, DC. Kaplan serves on the Evanston
Environment Board, which advises the Evanston, IL City Council on environmental
policy. She is also a longtime freelance writer of articles, opinion pieces and essays for
national-circulation newspapers and magazines. She holds a J.D. from the University of
Wisconsin.
Hannah Sokol is a candidate for a master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy from
UIC’s College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. She is interested in sustainable
urban development with particular attention to economic policies and incentives
encouraging the broader adoption of green development. She recently worked on the
EPA Region II project: Market Barriers to Green Development. She received her
bachelor's degree from Earlham College.
5
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
I. Introduction
The bulk of the waste stream in the United States is comprised of materials produced
through building and demolition activity. Over 160 million tons of surplus construction
and demolition (C&D) materials are generated each year in the United States and by
some accounts, 60 percent of these are sent to landfills (Chini and Bruening 2003). These
materials include wood products, such as clean scrap lumber; brick and block; gypsum
wallboard; manufactured wood (plywood); cardboard; asphalt shingles and pavement;
metals (pipes, wire, conduits, beams); plastics; concrete; dirt; and salvageable appliances,
ornaments, and fixtures.
The large volume of C&D materials in the waste stream is a matter of serious concern
given the associated environmental and economic risks. First, it is unhealthy. C&D
landfills can emit gasses that raise an array of health and safety issues (Colledge 2008).
Second, it is inefficient. Increasing tipping fees and scarcer opportunities to dump mean
that these heavy materials must be transported farther away from their place of origin.
Moreover, new building materials and appliances are being manufactured in more remote
locales and imported from further distances. These long-distance trips increase fuel
consumption and carbon emissions and also raise prices for consumers.
Third, it is unsustainable. Disposing of any product destroys its embodied energy – the
energy consumed in acquiring its inputs and manufacturing, transporting, using and
maintaining it. Moreover, if that commodity has use and exchange values which are not
being realized, consumers experience a loss. In contrast, reusing a commodity maintains
its “embodied energy”, integrity and value while keeping it out of the waste stream. Not
even recycling can claim such benefits as recycling consumes energy and creates
pollution in the process of converting one product into another. Materials are generally
made less valuable when their basic form is modified.
Fourth, it is discriminatory. Landfills and unpermitted dump sites are often located in
low-income and minority neighborhoods. In the city of Chicago, for example, the 80-
foot high “Mountain” of illegally dumped C&D waste in the neighborhood of North
Lawndale came to symbolize the corruption and environmental degradation suffered by
the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Grassroots responses to these injustices helped to
catalyze a local movement for environmental justice out of which strategies for the reuse
of C&D materials have emerged.
To significantly divert C&D materials from the fast-moving waste stream, a region needs
two sets of intermediaries that together comprise the core infrastructure for reuse. The
first prevents materials from ending up in the dumpsters at job sites. “Deconstruction” is
an alternative to the conventional demolition process that is slowly gaining purchase.
Deconstruction contractors preserve building materials by carefully removing them in a
way that maintains their integrity and allows for their resale. The second set of
intermediaries connects the salvaged products with final consumers, building up a market
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
for the used products. Reuse stores across the country warehouse and resell these
commodities, accessing and educating consumers while recovering materials for resale to
support their operations.
The following study analyzes the market for deconstruction and C&D reuse in the
Chicago region, with a focus on determining whether the market area could support a
reuse center. In this study, we estimate the current size, composition, and geography of
the supply and demand for C&D materials in the city of Chicago and select suburban
municipalities. We also analyze the market and policy obstacles to the reuse of C&D
materials, identify “best practices” adopted in other parts of the country, and suggest
public policies and institutional practices that could increase demand for used C&D
materials. Throughout the study, our focus is on building-related C&D materials, as
opposed to those generated by public infrastructure and roadway projects, and on those
generated from residential, as opposed to commercial, projects.
7
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
II. Estimating the Size and Location of the Supply of Construction
and Demolition Materials
The City of Chicago
Used building materials are produced through three different but inter-related processes:
construction, remodeling, and demolition. Collectively, these industries experienced a
boom of significant proportion between 1996 and 2006. Fueled by low interest rates,
new debt products, and expanded consumer demand, the value of residential construction
in the United States rose from $5.4 trillion in 2000 to $8.1 trillion in 2005 (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2007).
The Chicago region was the recipient of much of this new investment in the built
environment. An estimated 100,000 residential contractors (including specialty trades,
such demolition contractors, and sole proprietorships) operated in Chicago Metropolitan
Statistical Area in 2003 (Doussard 2008). In the Chicago region, as in the United States
as a whole, the majority of residential contractors are small, sole proprietors and employ
no more than one or two workers.
We obtained address-level information for every construction, renovation, and wrecking
permit issued by the City of Chicago’s Department of Buildings for the period between
2005 and 2007. This data set contains information on the building address, date of permit
issuance, and declared value for every legal permit issued by the City of Chicago over
this period. These data reveal that contractors in the city applied for an average of 12,820
permits for each year between 2005 and 2007, a period during which the total number of
permits increased by over 20 percent (see Table 1). The value of these permits averaged
close to $7 billion a year for the three-year period.
8
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Table 1: Residential Permits Issued by the Chicago Department of Buildings, 2005
through 2007
Total Percent Total Declared Percent
Records Total Value Total
2005 Building 3,063 26.90% $3,940,749,584 65.81%
Renovation 6,683 58.70% $2,002,069,868 33.43%
Wrecking 1,639 14.40% $45,337,578 0.76%
Total 11,385 $5,988,157,029
2006 Building 3,381 25.36% $4,451,891,383 54.56%
Renovation 8,498 63.74% $3,664,546,849 44.91%
Wrecking 1,454 10.91% $43,519,480 0.53%
Total 13,333 $8,159,957,711
2007 Building 2,502 18.21% $4,449,787,042 68.04%
Renovation 9,868 71.80% $2,021,306,402 30.91%
Wrecking 1,373 9.99% $68,747,046 1.05%
Total 13,743 $6,539,840,491
Source: City of Chicago Department of Buildings
Most accounts of the last boom tend to emphasize the number of new housing starts.
However, in many older cities, remodeling and renovation growth outstripped overall
rates of residential housing growth for this period. Remodeling and renovation may
include such varied activities as additions, alterations, roof and deck replacements,
HVAC system replacement, and driveway installation. In 2002, remodelers accounted
for 15 percent of residential construction work nationally, but residential remodeling
expenditures grew steadily: from 2004 through 2007 alone, these expenditures increased
by nearly 50 percent. In the city of Chicago, renovation permits accounted for more than
twice the number of construction permits during the tail end of the boom. Over the three-
year span for which we have data, the total number of residential remodeling permits
grew by 45 percent.
9
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
On a per-unit basis, demolition contractors produce most C&D waste. While most
associate the wrecking ball and explosives with the demolition process, the majority of
demolitions are much smaller in scale, and contractors use handtools such as
jackhammers to dismantle buildings (Weber, Doussard, Bhatta, and McGrath 2002).
Nonetheless, conventional demolition techniques tend to irreparably damage materials,
leaving them in worse shape than the construction and renovation processes. Rules
require wreckers to cart off the remains of the structures demolished and to leave behind
a graded, empty lot. In Chicago, approximately 1,500 residential demolition or wrecking
permits were issued in each of the years between 2005 and 2007. However, it is
important to note that the Chicago Department of Buildings estimates that 1 out of every
5 demolitions in the city takes place illegally, i.e., without proper permits (Kamin and
Reardon 2003).
Not all municipalities or neighborhoods experienced this housing development boom.
Permits were distributed across Chicago in an uneven manner, implying that some areas
are more prolific sources of C&D materials than others. The following maps of Chicago
community areas by total number of permits and declared value reflect a variegated
geography (see Figures 1, 2 and 3). The bulk of construction and renovation activity
occurred in the neighborhoods ringing the Central Business District and on the city’s
higher-income North Side. Demolition activity was more dispersed, concentrating in
areas of redevelopment (Lakeview, West Town) but also occurring on the city’s far west
side and in the south-central band of high-poverty neighborhoods moving south from
Pilsen and the Near West Side. The latter may be “nuisance demolitions” where the City
orders the destruction of the buildings to rid the neighborhood of abandoned, hazard-
attracting structures.
10
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
11
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
12
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
13
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
The supply of C&D materials produced through these three building processes can be
estimated by analyzing current building and demolition activity in the area. Of course,
residential construction is characterized by its uniqueness. Even when they are built from
the same blueprint, differences in location, building material quality, upkeep, and
modification produce structures that differ in large ways and small. As such, the surplus
materials produced through these processes are themselves highly heterogeneous. The
amount of waste produced by one contractor may differ significantly from that produced
by another, due primarily to the level of expertise or training of employees.
Although there are several methods used to estimate C&D generation, most --
particularly those that survey waste disposal and recycling facilities -- rely on data that
are unavailable for the Chicago region. As such we follow the lead of studies such as
Yost and Halstead (1996) and Cochran et al. (2007) in estimating sector activity and
applying an appropriate waste production rate for that activity. Specifically, we apply
established algorithms to the total area of new construction, remodeling, and demolition
permits in the study area to convert the amount of square footage of these activities into a
volume of C&D materials generated from them.
The algorithms are based on the EPA's 1998 study, "Characterization of Building-Related
Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States" prepared by Franklin
Associates. The study relied on point source waste assessments, i.e., the sampling and
weighing of materials at construction and demolitions sites, to provide average per square
foot debris generation rates. Because waste yields varied by the type of activity and the
nature of the building project, the report presented generation rates in six categories:
construction, renovation, and demolition debris for both residential and non-residential
properties. As may be expected, building activity yields the lowest generation rates,
renovation rates are higher, and demolition rates are highest when entire buildings are
transformed into debris. We use the average generation rates for the multiple cities
where the point source assessments were performed.
We apply these residential construction, renovation, and demolition generation rates to
the corresponding total square footage data from the City of Chicago Department of
Buildings permit data for 2007. We focus on permit data for 2007 because this year is
potentially the most representative of future activity. The building cycle in Chicago is
widely believed to have begun tapering off with the advent of the credit crisis in the
summer of 2007. Previous years reflect the height or near-height of the boom, a
phenomenon not likely to be replicated in the near term. We also focus on residential
properties because C&D materials generated from commercial construction are often
idiosyncratic, highly customized to particular processes, and therefore more difficult to
reuse for the typical residential consumer.
Relying on these methods, we found that the estimated volume of total C&D materials
generated in Chicago in 2007 based on residential permit data was 742,305 tons, the bulk
of which were generated from building renovation (see Table 2).
14
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Table 2: C&D Materials Generated in Chicago, 2007
Construction Renovation Demolition
Total. Total. Total
Lbs Yield: Lbs Yield: Lbs Yield:
Total Sqft p/sqft tons Total Sqft p/sqft tons Total Sqft p/sqft tons
Single
Family 2,637,712 4.38 5,777 2,845,184 23.17 32,961 1,010,368 111 56,075
Multi-
Family 28,108,697 3.89 54,671 45,715,505 23.17 529,614 995,362 127 63,206
Totals 60,448 562,576 119,281
Estimated total amount: 742,305 tons
Unfortunately, the majority of municipalities that form the basis for the EPA algorithms
are smaller cities and suburbs, where house size tends to be larger than in Chicago. In
other words, the algorithms available may overestimate the total debris yielded for the
City of Chicago. However, many of our permit observations did not include occupancy
codes to designate them as residential or non-residential, and so we did not include them
in the building and renovation yields (see Appendix 1 for a description of the data
cleaning process). In addition, a significant amount of renovation and demolition activity
takes place without a permit, and so the total yield calculated may be underestimated.
Combined, these flaws in the data and algorithms may cancel each other out.
We also compare these permit-based estimates to self-reported estimates of the amount of
recyclable materials generated during the construction of larger (over four units)
residential and commercial properties collected by the Chicago Department of
Environment (DOE). As part of a city ordinance passed in 2005 that requires general
contractors constructing, renovating or demolishing qualified projects to recycle at least
50% of recyclable debris generated by their operation, the DOE now requires that
contractors complete C&D Recycling Compliance Forms. They request that contractors
“estimate the volume of ‘recyclable’ debris generated at each job site” in addition to
attesting to the amount that was actually recycled or reused. Recyclable debris does not
include materials that are contaminated with lead, asbestos or other hazardous materials.
These data show that 520,050 tons of recyclable C&D materials were generated during
2007 (Department of Environment Recycling Compliance History, 2008). The bulk of
C&D waste was generated during the months of April, May, and June, which is generally
considered a good time to begin construction in a cold climate. Another study of
Chicago, this one completed by the consultant CDM, estimated the total volume of C&D
waste at 2,931,000 tons per year (an average for the years 2000 through 2003) (CDM
2006).
15
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
However, it is important to note that a large portion of the permits we analyzed would not
fall under the C&D Recycling Compliance requirements. The ordinance does not apply
to construction or demolition of smaller buildings or single-family houses. It is limited to
construction of new residential buildings with four or more units; construction of new
non-residential buildings of more than 4,000 square feet; demolition of residential
buildings with four or more units that includes demolition of at least one outside wall;
and demolition of non-residential buildings of more than 4,000 square feet. In contrast,
smaller residential structures are comprised of less of the heavy materials that are easy to
recycle (concrete, asphalt) but hard to reuse. This is one of the reasons why our estimates
from the permit data exceed the self-reported volume of recyclable C&D materials. The
CDM estimate is almost four times that of ours because it includes all commercial
properties and non-building related C&D and is based on per capita population figures.
The composition of C&D debris generated varies by activity. Using the EPA’s estimated
composition in the categories of residential building, renovation, and demolition, we
calculated an approximate volume of individual C&D materials based on the total
estimated volume generated in Chicago in 2007. Table 3 shows the potential volume of
materials generated in each of the three categories. While certain materials, such as
concrete and plastics, are not suitable for reuse, the large percentage of wood debris
generated in all three activities points to opportunities for such. Again, it is important to
note that both regional as well as urban versus suburban differences in housing types
influence the composition of materials generated. In Chicago we could expect to see clay
bricks and concrete masonry units comprising an even larger share of the C&D debris
than national averages would suggest.
Table 3: Predicted Composition of C&D Debris in Chicago
2007 Construction debris: tons 2007 Renovation debris: tons 2007 Demolition debris: tons
Total tons 60,448 Total Tons 562,576 Total Tons 119,281
Material Percentage* Tons Material Percentage* Tons Material Percentage* Tons
Wood 0.42 25,388 Wood 0.45 253,159 Wood 0.42 50,098
Drywall 0.27 16,321 Roofing 0.28 157,521 Misc 0.32 38,170
Misc 0.15 9,067
Drywall 0.21 118,141 Concrete 0.24 28,627
Brick 0.06 3,627
Misc 0.06 33,755 Metals 0.02 2,386
Roofing 0.06 3,627
Metals 0.01 5,626
Plastics 0.02 1,209
Metals 0.02 1,209
*Source: EPA 1998
Chicago suburbs
Because our interviews revealed that the majority of households that donate building
materials for reuse and that opt for deconstruction over demolition live in large homes
and have high incomes, we also investigated the potential supply of C&D materials in a
select number of Chicago suburbs. The sample of suburbs was based on those where
municipal median incomes were high enough so that households there would be in the 28
percent tax bracket and would itemize donations to calculate their total tax deductions.
Income tax deductions for donations of building materials are one of the few incentives
16
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
that currently exist to supply C&D materials to secondary markets. This median income
figure was estimated to be $168,000 for a household of four in 2007. Two other
suburban municipalities that did not approach the median incomes requirement -- Oak
Park and Evanston -- were nonetheless added to the sample because of the high levels of
environmental awareness among residents (as evidenced by voting records for Green
Party candidates and prior incidence of deconstruction) and the large number of single-
family homes.
Table 4: Median Income by Cook County Municipality, 2000
Total Median household
population: 2000 income (in 1999 dollars)
Barrington Hills 3915 $145,330.00
Burr Ridge 10408 $129,507.00
Evanston 74239 $56,335.00
Glencoe 8762 $164,432.00
Golf 451 $131,742.00
Hinsdale 17349 $104,551.00
Inverness 6749 $141,672.00
Kenilworth 2494 $200,001.00
Northfield 5389 $91,313.00
Oak Brook 8702 $146,537.00
Oak Park 52524 $59,183.00
South Barrington 3760 $170,755.00
Wilmette 27651 $106,773.00
Winnetka 12419 $167,458.00
Source: U.S. Census 2000
17
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
We collected construction permit data for each of the fourteen suburbs from the U.S.
Census and, based on the average size of suburban single- and multi-family homes,
applied similar conversion algorithms to convert building area into volume of C&D
materials. We acquired demolition permit data for 8 suburbs (Evanston, Glencoe, Golf,
Kenilworth, Northfield, Oak Park, Wilmette, and Winnetka) and calculated an average
residential demolition rate (number of demolitions/total housing units). Applying this
rate to the number of housing units in the other municipalities, we estimated both the
number of demolitions occurring annually as well as the total square footage of houses
demolished. These figures were also converted into tons of C&D materials based on the
EPA algorithms. Unfortunately, data recording renovation permits for the suburban
municipalities were not available.
Table 5 estimates the volume of C&D materials generated by construction and demolition
activities within the municipalities that comprise our suburban sample in 2007. Suburban
municipalities where household income or environmental consciousness are high enough
to make households there candidates for deconstruction and building materials donations
generate approximately 20,386 tons of C&D materials per year. Again, it is important to
note that we lack information on renovation, whose per-unit incidence is likely to be
greater than in the city. As such, these figures underestimate the volume of potentially
reusable materials supplied in the suburbs.
18
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Table 5: C&D Materials Generated from Construction and Demolition in Sample of
Chicago Suburbs, 2007
Predicted
Total Demolition
Building Bldng in Weight* in Permits Total Demo Weight**
Permits 2007 Sqft tons 2007 Sqft in tons
Barrington Hills 11 24882 54 6 9962 573
Burr Ridge 30 67860 149 15 24530 1,410
Evanston 16 36192 79 22 35400 2,024
Glencoe 34 76908 168 8 12800 736
Golf 0 0 - 1 1600 92
Hinsdale 43 97266 213 27 42763 2,459
Inverness 71 160602 352 10 15597 897
Kenilworth 7 15834 35 7 11200 644
Northfield 1 2262 5 7 11200 644
Oak Brook 17 38454 84 14 21675 1,246
Oak Park 35 79170 173 6 9600 552
South Barrington 71 160602 352 5 8006 460
Wilmette 30 67860 149 44 70400 4,048
Winnetka 24 54288 119 29 46400 2,668
Totals 1,932 201 18,454
Estimated total C&D materials: 20,386 tons
Source: U.S. Census 2007
*NAHB average new single family home size (Mid-West):2,262 sqft
**EPA average single family demolished size: 1,600 sqft
19
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
We expect that deconstruction would be most attractive to households that can take
advantage of the tax deduction benefit, i.e. those households with incomes over
$168,000. Table 6, using 2000 U.S. Census data, shows that approximately 115,000, or
nearly 6%, of households in Cook County would be eligible for the tax benefits from
deconstruction.
Table 6: Household Income, Cook County 2000
Cook County, Illinois
Total Households 1,974,408
Income Households Percent Total
Less than 10,000 192,689 9.76%
$10;000 to $14;999 107,043 5.42%
$15;000 to $19;999 104,713 5.30%
$20;000 to $24;999 111,195 5.63%
$25;000 to $29;999 112,837 5.71%
$30;000 to $34;999 117,950 5.97%
$35;000 to $39;999 111,805 5.66%
$40;000 to $44;999 109,361 5.54%
$45;000 to $49;999 95,409 4.83%
$50;000 to $59;999 177,254 8.98%
$60;000 to $74;999 213,525 10.81%
$75;000 to $99;999 222,453 11.27%
$100;000 to $124;999 122,128 6.19%
$125;000 to $149;999 59,810 3.03%
$150;000 to $199;999 53,986 2.73%
$200;000 or more 62,250 3.15%
Source: U.S. Census 2000
20
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
III. Existing Demand for Construction and Demolition Materials
What are the conventional sources of large-volume demand for construction and
demolition materials in the Chicago region? The markets for C&D materials are varied
and use the materials in very different ways. Demand is conceived as stemming from
final users/end markets (developers and contractors sourcing previously used materials as
well as landfills) and the intermediaries that service them with such materials (haulers,
recycling facilities, and reuse stores). In some cases, the recipients pay for materials in
order to resell them to ultimate end-users (i.e., recycling facilities), while in others they
charge a fee to the supplier for depositing them (i.e., landfills and tipping stations). The
following diagram clarifies the typical flow of materials (Eisenberg 2008).
Figure 4: The Market for Construction and Demolition Materials
Source: Yochai Eisenberg 2008
21
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Transfer stations and landfills
National studies have demonstrated that most C&D materials end up in certified landfills
and unpermitted sites. The EPA estimates that 35 to 45 percent of C&D materials were
discarded in C&D landfills, with another 30 to 40 percent managed on-site, at a
“municipal solid waste” (MSW) landfill, or at an unpermitted site (EPA 1998). As such,
the location, pricing, and sourcing practices of landfills and transfer stations heavily
influence the other potential markets for C&D materials.
As of January 1, 2007, there were 48 active, state-certified landfills in Illinois, and 9 of
these were located in the Chicago region (the “Chicago Metropolitan Area” or EPA
Region 2 includes: McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Cook, Kendall, Will, Grundy, and
Kankakee Counties; see Illinois EPA 2007) (See Figure 6). Eight of the nine active
landfills reported decreased capacity, while one, Settler’s Hill in Batavia, began its
closure operations that year. Prairie View in Wilmington was the only landfill reporting
increased capacity. At the beginning of 2007, 60 percent of the region’s available
capacity was located at this site, but it is owned by Will County and only accepts waste
receipts from that county.
22
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Figure 5: Landfills and Transfer Stations in Illinois EPA Region 2
Source: Yochai Eisenberg 2008
23
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
These landfills accept mixed MSW and non-hazardous waste, including non-
contaminated C&D debris materials. Unless they increase capacity (approving permits
for new landfills or for expansions of existing ones) or decrease disposal rates, the
Chicago Metropolitan Region’s landfills will be at capacity in eight years (EPA 2007).
While the overall rate of waste received for the region has been declining steadily from
1996 to 2006, from 6.9 million tons to 3.7 million tons, there was a 6.7 percent increase
in total waste received between 2005 and 2006 (see Table 7).
Table 7: Chicago Metropolitan Region Landfill Capacity 1996-2006
No. of Est. Percent
Waste Percent Active Capacity in Capacity
Received Change Landfills Years Change
2006 3.7 million tons 6.7% 9 8 -3.9%
2005 3.5 million tons -2.8% 10 9 -17%
2004 3.6 million tons -3.9% 10 11 117.8%
2003 3.8 million tons -11.2% 9 5 -19.2%
2002 4.2 million tons -0.9% 13 5 -13.3%
2001 4.2 million tons -1.7% 13 6 -7.8%
2000 4.1 million tons -15.1% 14 9 -8.6%
1999 4.8 million tons -1.2% 15 6 -7.2%
1998 4.8 million tons 19..9% 16 6.8 1.0%
1997 4.0 million tons -41.5% 15 8.1 30.2%
1996 6.9 million tons -12.8% 17 3.7 -41.2%
Source: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Annual Landfill Capacity Reports
As of 2008, there were no landfills remaining in the city of Chicago – due to a
moratorium on new landfill siting and a shortage of space. In 2007, the last remaining
city-based landfill, the Waste Management Site at 134th and the Calumet River, closed.
The most proximate landfill to Chicago, located in the western suburb of Hillside, also
closed in 2007. Declining landfill capacity, coupled with opposition to new landfills, a
decline in vacant space, and rapid growth in Chicago’s collar counties, has led the
region’s waste to be transported to landfills farther and farther away and has increased
waste disposal costs (Terese 2008). Much of Chicago’s waste is currently hauled to
Pontiac and Rockford, Illinois, both of which are approximately 80 to 120 miles outside
the city.
Because of the lack of geographic proximity, waste in the Chicago region is often routed
through an intermediary, or transfer station, where it is combined with trash from other
trucks and hauled elsewhere by a larger semi-truck trailer to reduce costs. There are 72
active transfer stations in the Illinois EPA Region 2, of which 10 are C&D transfer
stations. At last count, 16 of the transfer stations were located in the city of Chicago
(EPA 2007), while transfer facilities in Melrose Park, Elk Grove Village, and East
Chicago, Indiana handled most of the waste in Cook County. Some transfer stations also
remove, sort, and clean materials that can be sent to recycling facilities.
24
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Landfills are the last stop on the demand chain for surplus C&D materials given that they
accept all waste. They do so for a price – the “tipping fee” – which, in 2006, ranged from
$23 to $45.50 a ton in Illinois. These costs have increased by almost 40 percent since
1995 – due, in part, to restricted supply, reliance on decentralized transfer stations, and
the rising cost of diesel fuel (Terese 2008), but they are still lower than in other parts of
the country ($75 per ton in Portland).
As the disposal facilities of last resort, most landfills disregard the condition of the
materials they accept. They have little incentive to sort or encourage reuse because they
receive the bulk of their revenues from hauling and tipping fees. Allied and Waste
Management are the largest hauling companies in the United States, they maintain a
strong presence in Chicago, and they own and operate most of the transfer stations
around the city. They are also themselves end-users of a by-product of the construction
and demolition process: rubble, or what has come to be known in the industry as
“Chicago dirt.” Sanitary landfills are required to cover their refuse with dirt (“alternative
daily cover” or ADC) every evening, and dirt mixed with C&D materials provides a
better landfill cover than dirt as it is denser and has fewer voids through which odors and
gasses can escape. Moreover, some unsorted C&D waste (particularly wood products)
can be an input for another source of profit for landfills: recovering and selling methane
as energy (Terese 2008).
On top of these disincentives for reuse, municipalities, landfills and hauling companies
have anti-scavenging policies to explicitly discourage diversion of C&D materials from
the waste stream. Whether they prohibit scavenging due to concerns for injury, legal
liability or protecting profits, these policies are intended to deter individuals from
removing recyclable materials from the waste stream before they reach their intended or
contractual destination.
Recycling facilities
Approximately one-third of all commercial and residential C&D materials in Chicago are
recycled (Worthington 2007). Other data from the City’s C&D Diversion Ordinance –
which covers larger residential and commercial projects – would suggest that the share
recycled is much higher: closer to 85 percent of the weight of recyclable materials in
2007. If the heaviest building components – bricks, concrete and asphalt – are reclaimed
and recycled, these relatively high figures may be accurate.
There are about 31 recycling and reclamation facilities for C&D materials located in the
city of Chicago, with another 40 located in other municipalities in Cook County (City of
Chicago Department of Environment 2006). Examples of established recycling,
reclamation, and sorting facilities include those owned by national waste management
companies such Premier and Allied (most of whom own their own disposal sites and
haulers), as well as independents such as Recycling Services Inc., which recently built
Chicago’s only dedicated, permitted C&D Material Recovery Facility. These facilities
accept C&D materials and perform at least one of the following three functions: (1)
process C& D materials, either by converting the raw materials into secondary
25
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
commodities or by sorting and cleaning them; (2) sell the secondary commodities or
sorted/cleaned primary commodities to a final or intermediate user; and (3) send the
residual to a disposal facility.
Which factors determine whether C&D materials are sent to a recycling facility or a
landfill? The ability to separate and segregate the material is one of the most important
factors that determines whether they are disposed in a landfill or are sent to a recycling
facility (Kluko 2006). In most cases there is a correlation between the strength of the
market and the ease with which materials can be separated and removed from a structure
without incurring damage to them. Linoleum and carpet tiles, for example, are nailed and
glued together, are difficult to detach from each other, and have weak secondary markets.
Recyclers either accept materials drop-offs or will pick up materials from job sites. They
either accept only pre-sorted materials (e.g., bricks placed on pallets) or commingled
loads. These facilities use a variety of more and less labor-intensive techniques including
conveyor belts, hand sorters, shakers, and cranes with magnets to sort materials.
Pricing depends on the composition of the load and whether it has been pre-sorted. For
example, most recycling facilities pay providers for bricks, scrap metal, and cardboard.
In 2004 scrap metal prices soared to more than $300 per ton up from $77 a few years
earlier (Byles 2005). In contrast, recycling facilities impose tipping fees to accept
unsorted, mixed loads. Chicago area recyclers charge “gate rates” of between $40 to $50
per ton of mixed material.
Market price for the commodity is another important determinant. Typically, recycling
facilities purchase higher-value materials that can be reprocessed and for which there are
established secondary markets. These include concrete, brick, ferrous/non-ferrous
metals, soil, glass, gravel, drywall, asphalt pavement, roof shingles, wood, appliances and
fixtures. Waste wood is sent through a chipper and turned into mulch, concrete is
crushed for fill, and scrap metal is shredded and melted down for resale to steel mills and
foundries.
Some of the secondary markets for processed C&D materials are quite strong – notably
the scrap metal market, for which demand outpaces supply as countries like China and
India experience construction booms. Some types of wood and concrete a can also turn a
profit. Concrete, for example, is reprocessed or crushed and used as road base replacing
virgin limestone, engineered backfill for under foundations, back or trench fill for buried
infrastructure as well as for sub base grades under parking lots. However, the markets for
used drywall, glass, roofing, and flooring are substantially less developed.
The third factor is timing. Contractors will send their materials to recyclers when the
hauling process is fast and streamlined. Contractors operate under compressed schedules;
if sending their job site concrete to a grinding facility (where it can be crushed) involves
no intermediary steps and allows them to profit quickly, such an option will look
preferable to sending the same heavy, bulky materials to a landfill. Minimizing
transportation costs requires haulers to reduce load volumes, weight, and trips. This
occasionally motivates contractors to do their own recycling at the job site if they own or
26
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
lease the proper equipment – for example, renting a concrete crusher to make fill for
other jobs.
The fourth factor is size. Larger jobs tend to be those that are commercial or industrial
buildings composed of concrete, bricks and metal. These materials are readily recycled --
-- mostly into fill or alternative daily cover. Smaller residential structures are composed
of less fill-ready material and have more component parts that are potentially reusable.
The fifth factor influencing the recycling rate is the regulatory environment, which will
be discussed in more depth in the final sections of this report. Some cities have passed
ordinances that mandate job-site recycling or require that a certain share of C&D
materials be recycled or reused.
The materials that recyclers cannot process and resell are sent to the landfill facilities in
the region or are disposed of in some other fashion (melted, burned or buried). In some
cases, materials are brought to specialized disposal facilities; for example, haulers
transport carpeting to Newton County, Indiana, and dirt and concrete is often hauled to
the Vulcan-owned facilities in Northern Illinois. Residual materials may be dropped off
at the disposal site or picked up by haulers.
Reuse and salvage facilities
Reuse operations remove building materials and appliances from the fast-moving waste
stream to resell them to property owners and contractors. In such cases, single-family
homes and smaller structures generate more potentially reusable materials than
commercial properties or large multi-family buildings. This market is segmented
according to the quality, provenance, and value of those materials. At the top of the
chain are salvagers who specialize in architectural and historical objects. These may
include kitchen appliances, bathroom and lighting fixtures, tiles, flooring, doors, and
staircases. A number of specialty salvagers, such as those sourcing antique barn wood,
emerged during the last construction boom.
For-profit salvagers total approximately ten in the region, including the well-known
Architectural Artifacts, Salvage One, and Urban Remains in the city of Chicago and
Murco, which operates in the region. They source their materials from demolition and
estate sales in Chicago (often in suburban locations) and across the country (occasionally
from international locations, although transportation costs are making procurement from
such places cost-prohibitive), or from dealers who act as middlemen. Most of these
businesses are located on the fringe of high-income neighborhoods, where property
owners with idiosyncratic tastes, historic homes, and interior designers are concentrated.
Other businesses sell those used building materials that may lack architectural or historic
value but that are less expensive than if purchased new. These operations tend to be run
by non-profit organizations that have experience with other kinds of resale and thrift
stores (i.e., those that sell consumer appliances and clothing). There are only three reuse
centers in the region, all of which are ReStores run by the non-profit Habitat for
27
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Humanity. These ReStores are located in the western suburb of Elgin, southern suburb of
Chicago Heights, as well as in the far northern municipality of Gurnee. They sell
primarily good quality dimensional lumber of uniform dimensions, plywood, cabinets,
doors, appliances, and fixtures.
We interviewed managers of reuse centers across the country. They report that their
customer base is comprised primarily of those individuals who:
o want to upgrade their owner-occupied or investment properties
o own older properties
o want to avoid paying market rates for the materials (either because they are
income-constrained or because they are opposed to the notion of paying full price)
o have the time, energy, and skills to work with less standardized materials
o are between 25 and 60 years old
o are recent immigrants
Despite the presence of this demographic in the Chicago region, only a small share of the
total C&D waste stream – some observers estimated that it is far below 10 percent – is
reused. Another estimate puts the deconstruction and re-use diversion rate at only .2
percent of the total waste stream (Guy, quoted in Miller 2008). Based on previous
analyses of Chicago and other national studies, an estimated 60 to 70 percent of total
C&D waste stream ends up in landfills, and 20-30 percent is either recycled on-site or at
an off-site recycling facility (EPA 1998; Worthington 2007; Chini and Bruening 2003).
.
28
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
IV. Potential Demand for a Reuse Facility in the City of Chicago
The fact that such a small amount of the Chicago region’s surplus C&D materials is
being reused implies that there is either little demand from end-users other than landfills
and recycling facilities or, more likely, that demand for such materials is undeveloped
and disconnected from sources of supply. The waste and construction specialists
interviewed for this study overwhelmingly suggest the latter. In particular they identify
the problem as one of market development and intermediation stemming from two main
gaps. First, C&D materials need to be extracted from buildings in such a way that
preserves their condition between job site and roll-off box and between roll-off box and
processing. Second, sources of supply and demand must be brought together so that
consumers can access materials and materials suppliers can access consumers.
Reuse stores typically fill both gaps. They require a reliable source of donations and
methods to retrieve C&D materials from the waste stream before they get crushed or
otherwise damaged. As such, the moment between when materials are collected and
when they enter the roll-off box offers the critical and often compressed window of
opportunity. Reuse stores insert themselves at this moment by reaching out to property
owners engaged in building activities and offering deconstruction techniques as an
alternative to demolition.
Deconstruction can be divided into two basic categories: structural (disassembling walls,
roofs, joists, beams) and non-structural (removing fixtures, appliances, flooring and other
items that are not part of the building’s basic structure). Non-structural deconstruction is
a more mature industry across the country than structural deconstruction, in part because
it is “minimally affected by code issues, project time constraints, and local housing
policies,” as well as environmental concerns (HUD 2001). Those property owners
interested in deconstruction may hire a specialized contractor, appraise the value of the
building products, and donate the salvaged materials. Deconstruction contractors
disassemble the materials, removing the roofing shingles from the sheeting or plywood,
the tile and glues from the sub-flooring, and the nails from everything – the last of which
is an especially expensive and time-consuming process. They segregate the painted from
un-painted wood, saving the beams or door and window frames.
Many reuse stores across the country operate their own deconstruction businesses so that
viable products can “soft land” as good-quality inventory and separate parts of this
supply chain can be vertically integrated. In other instances, a conventional construction
or demolition contractor may perform the work and will deliver less-damaged materials
to the reuse store.
Reuse stores require a sufficient amount of space to clean and house the bulky inventory.
Once at the facility, the staff processes the products so that they can be resold. This may
involve removing nails from 2-by-4s or using solvents to remove resins from PVC pipe.
Reuse centers we surveyed across the country rent or own space that ranges from 18,000
square feet (ReStore in Gurnee) to 35,000 square feet (Kansas City, Missouri ReStore
23,000 square foot of interior space plus a 12,000 square foot exterior space) to 64,000
29
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
square feet (The Rebuilding Center of Our United Villages in Portland, Oregon). In
several instances, including the Kansas City ReStore, the municipal government sold or
rented the land and/or buildings to the reuse facilities at below-market value.
The Kansas City ReStore is a case that we will describe in more detail in the latter
portion of this report. In 2007, this ReStore handled inventory valued at approximately
$1.7 million and made sales of approximately $1.6 million. This represents a more than
500 percent increase in sales from 2001, their first full year in business. In 2007, the bulk
of their sales consisted of lumber (19% of total sales), followed by tile/brick (13%) and
windows (13%), doors (11%) and cabinets (10%). They estimated that sales of these
products diverted 2,609 tons of C&D materials out of the waste stream. Most of their
materials were sourced from property owners and contractors who dropped off materials
to their facility, while 36 percent were collected off-site and 11 percent came through
their deconstruction service. However, the more valuable shipments were collected
directly from the job site by ReStore staff. During 2007, the ReStore employed a staff of
nine people, not including its deconstruction crew.
Would the city of Chicago be able to support a reuse operation similar in size and scope
to the Kansas City ReStore? The Kansas City ReStore, the only one of its kind in its
market area, serves a city of 447,306 and region with a population of approximately 2
million residents. The Chicago region is 5 times larger, and, although it hosts three
ReStores in outer-ring suburbs, they are relatively small and local-serving. Such a
difference in scale would suggest sufficient potential supply and demand to support a
Chicago-based store. National observers point out that Chicago is one of the only major
North American cities not to host a C&D reuse store.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
To better assess the size and sources of potential demand, we created a profile of the
typical consumer of used C&D materials and applied this information to the
demographics and building attributes of Chicago neighborhoods. The critical drivers of
reuse identified by our interview subjects translated into the following five indicators:
o Share foreign born population, 2000 (high, medium, low)
o Share of population that are homeowners, 2000 (high, medium, low)
o Share of housing stock built before 1959 (high, medium, low)
o Construction and renovation permits issued, 2007
o Share of households whose median income falls within the range between 20
percent above and below the city’s or county’s median income, 2000 ($38,600 for
the city; $45,900 for the county) (high, medium, low)
In other words, the strongest potential market for a reuse store lies in middle class,
immigrant neighborhoods with an older housing stock and high levels of housing
investment.
Data for each of the five indicators were obtained from the 2000 Census and from the
City of Chicago Department of Buildings for each of Chicago’s 77 community areas. The
following 21 Chicago community areas were ranked high in the first four indicators and
had median incomes that fell into the designated range:
Albany Park East Side McKinley Park
Archer Heights Gage Park Montclare
Avondale Hermosa North Center
Belmont Cragin Humboldt Park Portage Park
Bridgeport Irving Park South Deering
Brighton Park Lincoln Square South Lawndale
Dunning Logan Square West Ridge
Spatial analysis reveals that these neighborhoods cluster into three specific “hot spots”
whose residents exhibit the strongest potential demand for used building materials: a west
cluster, south-central cluster, and a south-east cluster (see Figure 6). The clusters tend to
encompass older, residential neighborhoods that have experienced a round of new,
mostly foreign-born in-migration. At the same time, these are not port-of-entry
neighborhoods like Pilsen and Little Village, but ones where immigrant households move
when they acquire savings and make the investment in homeownership. These clusters
are characterized by small, brick bungalows with the occasional 3-flat and multi-family
apartment building. They are adjacent to neighborhoods experiencing white, upper-
income in-migration and property value appreciation (i.e., gentrification) but tend to be
less proximate to the Central Business District.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
32
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
To determine whether Chicago could support a reuse store, we assume that property
owners of residential structures in these 21 neighborhoods would be the primary source
of demand for used building materials. In 2007, new construction and renovation in these
neighborhoods was valued at $350,111,276 based on our permit data. If even one percent
of this investment was sourced from used materials (the standards for LEED buildings
are anywhere from 5 to 10 percent reuse), sales receipts from a centrally-located reuse
store would total $3.5 million. This amount is more than twice the $1.6 million in sales
that the Kansas City ReStore needed to support a 35,000 square foot facility and nine
employees in 2007.
In 2007, new construction and renovation in the hot-spot neighborhoods resulted in an
additional 10,049,285 square feet, according to our permit data. Using the conversion
algorithms discussed earlier, this is the equivalent of 87,850 tons of C&D materials in
these neighborhoods that year. If contractors sourced even one percent of the volume of
materials needed for these investments from a reuse store, it would create demand for 878
tons of product. For comparison’s sake, the Kansas City ReStore estimates that it sold
2,609 tons of materials in 2007. Taken together, these calculations (the dollar amount of
sales calculation higher, calculation by weight lower) suggest that demand currently
exists to support a reuse store that is approximately the same size as the Kansas City
ReStore (35,000 square feet) located in proximity to these three clusters -- assuming that
consumers are made aware of the store and willing to travel out of their cluster to
purchase these materials at reduced cost.
It should be noted that these estimates are likely to understate the actual value of building
investment in the neighborhoods given that a significant portion of our permit data were
missing occupancy codes (i.e., whether they were residential or commercial) and
therefore were omitted from our calculations. Moreover anecdotal evidence suggests that
demand for used building materials appears to be growing in spite or and because of the
current economic crisis. For example, a building material reuse store in Springfield,
Massachusetts reported that its sales were up by 10 percent in 2008, while similar stores
in Asheville, North Carolina and Rochester, New York reported an increase of 15 and 18
percent respectively. When credit is tight, stronger pressure exists to minimize
construction costs. Moreover the growing market for green products indicates a
burgeoning environmental awareness that could increase future demand for used
products, particularly in cities where materials costs tend to be higher. On the other
hand, housing investment has been dropping steadily since 2005, and one cannot expect
the number of permits in the near future to resemble the number pulled during 2007.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Applying the same methodology, approximately 20 Chicago suburbs were also identified
as being hot spots of potential demand for used building materials. These include:
Arlington Heights Elmwood Park Norridge
Berkeley Evanston Northlake
Blue Island Glenview Park Ridge
Bridgeview Lincolnwood Skokie
Burbank Melrose Park Stickney
Cicero Morton Grove Summit
Des Plaines Niles Wilmette
As Figure 7 demonstrates, most of these municipalities are inner-ring suburbs and/or
located in the north-west portion of the region. Property owners and contractors located
in the inner ring suburbs such as Cicero and Burbank may be willing to travel the short
distance to purchase materials from a reuse store on the south-west side. As such, a reuse
store may want to consider locating along a trafficked east-west arterial (e.g., Roosevelt
Road, Ogden Avenue) or expressway (Eisenhower, Stevenson) to readily access this
suburban market area.
Our interview subjects infer that demand for used building materials is less of a problem
than accessing supply to meet that demand. “Whatever we can get our hands on moves,”
noted one manager of a ReStore, commenting on the store’s high turnover rates. Our
estimates suggest that in order to generate the volume necessary to support a reuse store
the size of the one in Kansas City, approximately 21 houses (at the suburban average of
2,262 square feet) would need to be fully deconstructed per year. This assumes that 111
pounds of C&D materials are generated per square foot of building area. Twenty-one
houses is a small share (ten percent) of the total number of houses currently demolished
in our sample of high-income suburban municipalities.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
35
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
V. Market Barriers to Building Deconstruction and Material Reuse
Despite the strong potential for a reuse store, numerous hurdles to building
deconstruction and material reuse currently exist, both generally and specifically in the
Chicago region. The following discussion identifies and analyzes these market barriers.
Poor source separation practices at job sites: For most construction and renovation
contractors, waste reduction is not a part of their core business model. They operate with
low profit margins and under tight schedules. Separating potentially reusable materials
from garbage adds extra time and expense that few are willing to invest.
Employment trends in residential construction and demolition: In order to deconstruct a
sufficient number of buildings to build a reuse market, it is necessary to have a
sufficiently-sized workforce that is trained to do deconstruction. This workforce still
needs to be developed in the Chicago region given that deconstruction activity is in an
early phase.
Moreover workers that are employed by conventional demolition contractors are
becomingly increasingly deskilled (Doussard 2008). The industry is variable, contractors
cannot promise steady employment or long-duration jobs, and labor must be flexible.
Contractors subcontract out to trades people for the most skill-intensive work and to day
laborers for that which is less so. Deskilling the construction and demolition process
allows contractors to reallocate project costs away from expensive subs toward more
substitutable, low-age workers that – given the increase in undocumented migration to
the United States -- are in strong supply. Remodeling and demolition are some of the
most labor-intensive forms of construction work, and the pressure to use less-skilled
workers is more intense. Less-skilled workers are less likely to be concerned about the
after-life of building materials.
Delays in permitting process: Currently, to undertake deconstruction in Chicago, one
must be an approved demolition contractor and must apply for a demolition permit. The
building permitting process is lengthy, onerous, and expensive. Delays cost developers
money, and create an incentive to carry out demolition activities as quickly as possible.
Some municipalities will not allow a building to be demolished until a building permit
has been issued. These timing issues pose a barrier to deconstruction, which takes
typically longer than demolition.
The cost of deconstruction: Although recent studies have shown that costs decrease as
contractors move up the learning curve, deconstruction often takes longer and is more
labor intensive than demolition. One study found that in Massachusetts, deconstruction
costs were approximately 17-25 percent higher than demolition costs (Dantata et al
2005). Some of these costs are reduced by the tax deductions received from donating
building materials. However buildings owned by non-profits, the public sector, or lower
income households may not receive any preferential tax treatment in opting for
deconstruction and materials donation.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Availability of landfill space: Although landfill space in limited in the Chicago region, it
is relatively plentiful in Illinois, and the cost of landfilling in the region is relatively low.
This calculus may be changing as waste must be hauled further from the city and the cost
of transportation continues to rise due to increased fuel prices. Still, the availability of
landfill space and low tipping fees are serious impediments. Contractors in other states
have more incentive to explore alternatives to demolition and C&D landfilling because
disposal space is more limited – notably the densely populated New England states.
Availability of recycling opportunities: If contractors are willing to sort and separate their
surplus C&D materials, they are more likely to haul them to recycling facilities than to
find opportunities to reuse them. Even though it is difficult and expensive to obtain a
siting permit for C&D recycling from the state of Illinois for locations other than those in
Cook and DuPage counties, recycling facilities in the area exist and have already reached
out to contractors. They can offer an immediate pay-off in terms of fees or rebates for the
tipping of pre-sorted materials. In contrast, contractors have few channels, other than
informal, word-of-mouth connections, through which to provide building materials for
reuse. They lack information about and few ways to reach potential consumers of these
materials and so tend to discount their existence. There are few retail establishments in
the City of Chicago offering these materials other than the handful of high-end
architectural salvage stores.
Lack of standardized grading system for used lumber: Salvaged lumber and wood
products are growing in popularity as older wood from old-growth forests is considered
higher-quality than newer wood, and wood is generally becoming scarce. However, there
is no standard grading system for used wood like the one that is used for virgin lumber.
Building codes require that wood be graded properly for their intended use, and building
inspectors look for this when they conduct an inspection at the framing process. An
inspector’s lack of knowledge about the quality of salvaged lumber may be a serious
impediment to passing the inspection. Additionally, developers and contractors want
assurance that a salvaged beam, for example, is strong enough to be reused for the same
purpose in new construction or renovation. Thus, the lack of a standard grading system
for used wood poses an obstacle to reuse.
Changes in materials usage: Wood products being used in construction and renovation
projects are increasingly composite or engineered wood products, rather than solid wood,
and these products cannot be reused and recycled within some established markets (Guy
2004). Making salvaged lumber more available for such projects would be an incentive in
itself, as lumber from old-growth forests, which can be salvaged from older houses being
taken down, is considered higher-quality and more valuable than either newer lumber or
wood products made from composite materials.
Concern about materials contamination: Contractors and property owners express
concern about the potential for salvaged materials to be contaminated with asbestos and
lead paint. Materials that contain either may not be appropriate for reuse.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Asbestos: Asbestos is considered a hazardous air pollutant under EPA’s "National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants" (NESHAP) regulations. The Asbestos
NESHAP addresses demolition and renovation and specifies that some asbestos-
containing materials (ACM) do not have to be removed prior to demolition, except where
demolition will be conducted using certain techniques. Several other categories of
asbestos-containing materials must be removed before demolition begins. These
requirements, however, do not apply to residential buildings with four or fewer units.
For deconstruction, it is advisable to remove all asbestos-containing materials since
deconstruction poses a greater worker exposure than mechanical demolition (Molloy
2008). Any materials that contain asbestos are not viable for reuse. Therefore, in effect,
all ACM must be abated prior to deconstruction regardless of whether it is considered
regulated. (Molloy 2008) The removal of nonfriable asbestos (a type which does not
crumble easily), which may be left in place in a standard demolition and debris disposal,
can cause deconstruction to cost significantly more (Falk and Guy 2007). Building
owners should remove any asbestos as part of the salvage or deconstruction agreement,
and no deconstruction project should be started until the building has been inspected and
any known asbestos remediated by trained, licensed professionals (Falk and Guy 2007).
Lead based paint (LBP): LBP was banned in 1978, but houses built before then may
have LBP materials – especially walls, woodwork, siding, doors and windows. LBP can
be hazardous when inhaled or ingested, especially for children.
In some contexts, disposal may be more costly and complex in a deconstruction scenario
than in demolition. In Illinois, LBP waste removed from a household by the homeowner
or a contractor can be disposed of as municipal waste. If construction or demolition
debris containing LBP still adhered to the substrate is generated from a non-residential
structure, it can be handled as municipal waste. But if the LBP is removed from the
original substrate, the waste is considered “special waste”, and must also be tested to
determine if it is a hazardous waste, and the entire waste stream tested. Contractors must
take precautions to prevent release of the lead into the environment. The handling and
disposal of hazardous waste must be conducted in accordance with applicable Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act regulations. If the contractor determines that the LBP
waste is hazardous, then it must be treated prior to disposal in a facility that is permitted
by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to accept that waste.
If the special waste is determined to not be a hazardous waste, the waste may be certified
by the generator to be just solid waste provided it does not exhibit certain characteristics.
The generator of the special waste may certify the waste if the waste passes the paint
filter test (is not a liquid), does not contain PCBs, is not a hazardous waste, is not
regulated asbestos-containing material, does not result from shredding recyclable metals,
and is not former hazardous waste rendered non-hazardous (IEPA 2007).
In terms of reuse, there is currently no regulatory or policy guidance that either permits,
prohibits, or qualifies practice for salvaging and reusing building materials coated with
lead-based paint (LBP), particularly lumber and timber products (Napier et al. 2005).
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
While regulations and standards governing LBP in different contexts have been
promulgated by several different federal agencies, they define LBP differently and for
different purposes. Despite there being regulations from these different agencies, the
applicability of the regulations in the context of recovering and reusing building materials
is unclear or nonexistent – and this ambiguity often creates a disincentive to reusing high
quality materials that are painted (Napier et al 2005). For example, due to the lack of
guidance, agencies such as the U.S. Army are reluctant to remove LBP-coated materials
from military installations and reuse them in local building projects.
Lack of awareness: Most contractors, developers, and home owners are not aware of
deconstruction and of building material reuse as options in the Chicago region. Even for
those who may have heard of deconstruction, few believe that it is a financially viable
option. Additionally, consideration of deconstruction as an alternative to demolition must
be planned well in advance and budgeted for by a developer.
Penchant for “the new”: In American consumer culture “new” is generally associated
with “better.” A well-developed advertising industry and a retail industry dominated by a
handful of home improvement chains ensure that contractors and home owners purchase
new materials through channels that are familiar and easily accessible. A shift in such
thinking appears to be occurring as the market sours and consumer expenditures decline.
As such, building material reuse is likely to become more culturally acceptable in the
near future.
39
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
VI. Best Practices for Building Deconstruction and Material Reuse
Best practices for encouraging building deconstruction and material reuse can be found at
all levels of government and in nonprofit and private organizations throughout the
country. These practices tend to be concentrated in the Northeast, where landfill space is
rapidly diminishing and landfill disposal fees are high, and on the West Coast, where an
established green ethos has made them more commonplace. Indeed, California is home to
many of the country’s deconstruction and reuse requirements and incentives.
The following examples are meant to illustrate the range of best practices—those
identified by the literature or by interviewees as effective or innovative—rather than
provide a comprehensive inventory. The examples in this section that promote
deconstruction specifically (as opposed to diversion of materials) are identified with an
asterisk.
Public Sector Requirements
Diversion requirements: The State of California, through the California Waste
Management Act of 1989, requires that every city and county divert 50 percent of its
waste materials. California law (Chapter 501, Statutes of 2002 (Kuehl, SB 1374))
directed the California Integrated Waste Management Board to develop a model C&D
diversion ordinance which was made available to jurisdictions to help them develop
ordinances that would meet their local needs. As of 2006, the city and county of San
Francisco require that mixed C&D debris be transported off-site by a registered
hauler and taken to a registered facility that can process a minimum of 65% of the
material generated from construction, demolition or remodeling projects.
Closure of landfills to construction & demolition debris: The State of Massachusetts’
Beyond 2000 Solid Waste Master Plan aimed to achieve 70 percent overall waste
reduction. Effective 2006, the State prohibited certain C&D materials – specifically,
asphalt pavement, brick, concrete, metal and wood – from disposal, transfer for disposal,
or contracting for disposal at solid waste facilities.
Construction site recycling requirements: In Portland, Oregon when a building or
demolition project is valued at $50,000 or more, the general contractor must ensure that
specific materials produced on the job site are recycled. Where no general contractor has
been named on the permit application, the property owner is considered the responsible
party.
*Mandated salvage period: The town of Atherton, California requires that every structure
planned for demolition “be made available for deconstruction, salvage and recovery prior
to demolition. It shall be the responsibility of the owner, the general contractor and all
subcontractors to recover the maximum feasible amount of salvageable designated
recyclable and reusable materials prior to demolition” (Atherton Ordinance No. 506: An
Ordinance of the Town of Atherton Adding a New Chapter 15.52 to the Atherton
Municipal Code, Relating to Recycling and Diversion of Construction and Demolition
40
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Debris). Similarly, the city of Cotati, California has required since 1993 that reusable
and recyclable materials from all structures to be demolished be made available for
salvage before demolition takes place.
Construction demolition debris deposit: The City of San Jose, California implemented a
construction demolition debris deposit (CDDD) program whereby the city collects a
deposit from every remodeler and contractor submitting an application for a building
permit. When the city receives an application for a project permit, it assesses a deposit
based on the square footage and type of project planned. The amount of the deposit is
listed on the permit receipt given to the applicant. Prior to starting their demolition,
construction or remodeling project, applicants are instructed to determine how they will
manage their C&D debris and any excess building materials, taking three options into
consideration: materials can be taken to a CDDD-Certified Facility for
recovery/recycling; they can be reused or donated; or some materials taken to a CDDD-
Certified Facility for recovery/recycling and other materials reused or donated. The
deposit is returned if the applicant recycles/reuses their construction and demolition
debris and submits the appropriate documentation. Deposits that are not claimed are used
for such purposes as construction of green municipal projects.
*“Green Building” requirements: Boulder, Colorado’s Green Building requirements
mandate that an applicant for a building permit for a new dwelling or an addition to a
dwelling demonstrate that at least 50 percent of construction waste will be recycled.
Additionally, an applicant proposing to demolish more than 50 percent of exterior walls
must demonstrate through a “deconstruction plan” that at least 65 percent of material by
weight from the deconstruction of the existing structure, including concrete and asphalt,
will be diverted from landfills. These requirements apply to residential new construction,
demolition, remodeling and additions, including without limitation single-unit dwellings,
multi-unit dwellings, and dwellings within mixed-use developments.
The city also requires that applicants for building permits obtain a minimum number of
“Green Points” based on the type and square footage of the building. Up to five points
can be earned for reusing the existing building (saving 50 percent of exterior walls earns
3 points, while saving 75 percent of exterior walls earns five points). Up to three points
can be earned for achieving waste diversion beyond the mandatory requirements by using
the city’s Deconstruction Plan and Construction Waste Recycling Form or an inventory
of material proposed to be diverted by a qualified deconstruction contractor to create a
site-specific deconstruction plan. (A copy of the form is included in this report as
Appendix C) And up to three points can be earned for diverting new construction waste.
*Waste Management Plans: Santa Monica, California’s Construction and Demolition
Waste Recycling Ordinance establishes requirements for reduction of solid waste from
construction-related activities. It requires that contractors develop a Waste Management
Plan for activities that require a construction or demolition permit. In preparing the Waste
Management Plan, applicants for demolition permits involving the removal of all or part
of an existing structure must consider deconstruction to the maximum extent feasible, and
41
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
must make the materials generated through deconstruction available for salvage prior to
landfilling.
Moreover, the city’s municipal code requires recycling of C&D waste in construction
contracts and preparation of a demolition and site protection plan. It recommends (but
does not require) salvage of reusable materials and separation of recyclables from
demolition.
*Building for disassembly: The City of Santa Monica’s Green Building Ordinance
applies to new construction and encourages developers to design buildings so that
materials can be easily disassembled, reused and recycled. The ordinance states: “The
city encourages developers to, in commercial applications, consider demountable
partition systems that can be moved as interior uses change in commercial applications;
specify fixtures and equipment that can be repaired or salvaged to minimize waste;
consider in design how repairs or removal will occur, and allow access for these
purposes; specify materials and methods with high potential for recyclability, wherever
possible avoiding composite products that make separation difficult or impossible; and,
to ease future disassembly, use bolt and nut fasteners before screws; screws before nails;
nails before strippable adhesives, and strippable adhesives before permanent glues such
as contact cement or epoxy.”
*Deconstruction requirements for HOPE VI projects: The Hartford Housing Authority
(HHA) in Connecticut was the first housing authority in the country to require a
deconstruction program for all redevelopments funded under the HOPE VI program, a
program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that
provides funds for communities to replace distressed public housing projects with mixed-
income housing. In 1998, HUD began to allow HOPE VI grant recipients to use
demolition funds for deconstruction projects. In 1998, with the anticipated deconstruction
of public housing units at Stowe Village, CT, HHA released a Request for Qualifications
to identify developers who would integrate deconstruction training, work with a
deconstruction service company made up of residents of public housing, and continue to
work with this company after the initial pilot project period was over. The result was the
incorporation of a construction company that employed residents of Stowe Village to
carry out deconstruction that was formed in a venture between the HHA and a private
development company.
*Demolition deterrents: Several communities in the Chicago area – including Evanston,
Winnetka, and Highland Park – have imposed a “demolition tax” or fee for teardowns
(Kuczka 2009). It is unclear whether deconstructing a home allows the homeowner to
avoid this fee. Revenue from the tax is being used to fund towns’ affordable housing
initiatives or to help towns recoup costs they incur due to teardowns.
42
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Public Incentives
*Expedited deconstruction permitting: The town of Los Altos Hills, California recently
eased the permitting process for deconstruction projects. When a deconstruction contract
is attached to the permit application, permit fees are waived. Moreover the new building
plans move to the front of the approval queue.
Recycling Market Development Zones: This California Integrated Waste Management
Board program combines recycling with economic development to help develop new
businesses, expand existing ones, and create jobs. The state provides loans, technical
assistance and free product marketing to businesses that use materials from the waste
stream to manufacture their products and that are located in a zone. Assistance is
provided by local zone administrators and the board's referral team. Local government
incentives may include relaxed building codes and zoning laws, streamlined local permit
processes, reduced taxes and licensing, and increased and consistent secondary material
feedstock supply. Free product marketing is provided through the RecycleStore, which
showcases innovative recycled-content products and puts buyers in touch with the
manufacturers. While this program focuses on recycling, it could also be applied to
reuse.
Public Education and Technical Assistance
*Information provision: King County, Washington (in which Seattle is located) provides
extensive information and assistance aimed at increasing diversion rates for construction,
demolition and deconstruction projects. The County provides “jobsite waste guidelines, a
waste management plan template, sample waste recycling specifications, directory of
local construction waste recyclers and more. Available assistance includes presentations
to jobsite workers on building material reuse, salvage, and recycling, site visits to assess
diversion options and research on recycling options for hard to recycle commodities.”
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of
Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance maintains a website that includes a
comprehensive, searchable recycling markets directory, and “NC Waste Trader,” a
statewide “waste exchange service” for discarded or surplus materials and products
designed “to divert recoverable materials from disposal while providing feed stocks and
supplies to potential users.”
Guidebooks for architects and contractors: The publication “Recycling Construction and
Demolition Wastes: A Guide for Architects and Contractors,” published in April 2005,
was sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects, Associated General Contractors of
Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, with
support from several additional organizations. It offers a valuable multidisciplinary
perspective on these issues to agents responsible for reuse decisions.
43
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
*Deconstruction demonstration projects: The Austin, Texas City Coliseum
Deconstruction project, undertaken in 2002, involved the deconstruction and demolition
of the City Coliseum and various other smaller surrounding buildings. The contractor was
directed by the city to optimize the amount of material being diverted from this project.
The project was publicized on the city’s website, and public salvage sales took place
afterwards. The city’s website noted, “Although the salvage industry is established in
Austin, the network of information available to the public is still emerging. It is the goal
of the City of Austin, through projects like the City Coliseum Deconstruction, to widen
the public's awareness of the salvage market and construction waste management
practices.”
*Public funding for reuse centers: The City of Los Angeles successfully applied to the
California Integrated Waste Management Board for a $50,000 Reuse Assistance Grant
that allowed them to partner with the ReUse People to develop a reuse facility for
construction and demolition materials in the city. Funds will be used to encourage
deconstruction practices in the city.
Non-profit and Private Sector Incentives
*Training for deconstruction: The Youth Employment Partnership (YEP), which operates
employment programs for low-income youth, worked with Beyond Waste Inc. to
deconstruct a portion of the U.S. Navy’s former Fleet Industrial Supply Center, now
owned by the Port of Oakland. The project, carried out in 1996-97, yielded a recovery
rate of 70% of materials, as well as wood chipped for mulch and fuel. YEP and a partner
planned to deconstruct six additional buildings on the site, involving training 75 youth
and 38 adults (including many women) in construction trade skills (Leroux and Seldman,
1999/2000).
*Green building ratings systems: Green building programs such as the LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) system developed by the U.S. Green Building
Council and the Green Globes program developed by the non-profit Green Building
Initiative provide an important incentive for green building activities – including
deconstruction, salvage and reuse – because an increasing number of developers want to
market properties as sustainable and energy efficient. Additionally, government agencies
are increasingly requiring or providing valuable incentives for buildings that are certified
under these programs.
LEED is by far the dominant green building rating system. The growing popularity of
LEED building certification is leading to an overall increase in awareness of green
building techniques. LEED awards points for deconstruction- and reuse-related activities
in new building and renovation including building reuse, diversion of 50 or 75% of
materials, 5 or 10% reuse of materials, and use of materials or products extracted,
harvested or recovered regionally. The LEED standard for homes includes points for
construction waste management planning, diversion of construction waste reduction, and
use of reclaimed materials and items like doors, counters and cabinets.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Particularly strong are the program’s construction waste management sections, which
require consideration of options for diverting waste, and the building reuse sections.
Additionally, the points offered by LEED for Homes for reclaimed building components
appear to be a direct nod to the possibility of reusing materials yielded from building
deconstruction. And the regional materials portion of the LEED standards for new
construction and major renovations could serve as an incentive for using materials
recovered from deconstructed buildings.
Green Globes, a green building rating system and suite of tools places a relatively strong
emphasis on deconstruction and material reuse. For new construction, there are seven
areas of assessment; factors included in the “materials” area include reuse of existing
buildings; durability, adaptability and disassembly; demolition waste (reduce, reuse,
recycle); and recycling and composting facilities.
Additionally, the National Association of Home Builders has developed the very
progressive “National Green Building Program,” which includes both model green home
building guidelines and a Green Scoring Tool that offers points leading to three possible
levels of certification. Among the activities for which points can be earned are: using
advanced framing techniques that reduce the amount of building material while
maintaining the structural integrity of the home; using pre-cut or pre-assembled building
systems or methods; disassembling existing buildings (deconstruction) instead of
demolishing; reusing salvaged materials where possible; dedicating and providing on-site
bins and/or space to facilitate the sorting and reuse of scrap building materials;
developing and implementing a C&D waste management plan that is posted at the job
site; conducting onsite recycling efforts; and using a life-cycle assessment tool to
compare the environmental burden of building materials and, based on the analysis, using
the most environmentally preferable product for that building component.
Non-Profit Education and Technical Assistance
*WasteCap Wisconsin: WasteCap Wisconsin (there are also WasteCaps in several other
states) is a statewide, nonprofit, industry-supported organization that provides waste
reduction and recycling assistance to businesses. Funding sources include membership,
sponsorship, and grants. The organization evolved out of the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources (DNR), where an employee was assigned to assist the business
community with reuse and recycling. However, businesses preferred to work with a non-
government entity. The DNR applied for and received a grant to create WasteCap
Wisconsin in 1998.
WasteCap Wisconsin provides an entire range of C&D-related services, including
drafting C&D waste reuse and recycling specifications and management plans; providing
technical assistance, market information, and research support; instructing
contractor/subcontractor employees about their role in the program; conducting waste
audits; monitoring the program; ensuring proper placement, timing, and labeling of trash
and recycling dumpsters; documenting construction waste management results; and
calculating the financial impact of the program's implementation. Private contractors
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
often request WasteCap’s assistance in providing construction waste management
services. And due to WasteCap’s training program to teach demolition and
deconstruction contractors to do recycling and reuse, there are now over 250 accredited
professionals in construction and demolition recycling.
WasteCap provides information to property owners, including an online, searchable
directory of haulers, processors and recyclers for C&D waste (www.wastecapdirect.org).
The organization also matches suppliers of materials with organizations interested in
buying or accepting them. For example, as part of a demolition process that preceded
construction of a new arts district in Madison, WasteCap helped connect building owners
and contractors with nonprofit organizations that took over 1,000 items for reuse. Two
reuse days were organized, during which participating organizations marked items they
wished to reuse, and subsequently collected these items.
Other major providers of education and technical assistance are the Building Materials
Reuse Association and the Deconstruction Institute.
*Non-profit directories: Numerous national organizations publish national directories of
recycling/reuse resources, including the Construction Materials Recycling Association’s
directory of C&D recyclers and the Building Materials Reuse Association’s directory of
businesses and contractors in the deconstruction and reuse industry. Additionally, a group
of federal agencies, private sector companies, non-profit organizations and educational
institutions publishes the Whole Building Design Guide, which includes a searchable
construction waste management database created by the U.S. General Services
Administration. And numerous states provide waste exchange websites and services.
*Reuse centers and stores: Reuse centers that serve as national models for best practices
do more than sell building materials for reuse. They often have their own deconstruction
operations – or partner with an organization that does – and may include job training.
They may convert salvaged building materials into furniture and other items that are then
sold by the center. Some centers offer classes focusing on sustainable building design.
Others work to serve as models of sustainability themselves, making their buildings and
operations as energy-efficient and low-impact as possible.
A recent study published by the Center for ReSource Conservation, “Best Practices:
Building Material Reuse Industry,” examines logistical issues ranging from staffing
practices to facility atmosphere. The study can be found at:
http://www.resourceyard.org/assets/docs/BestPracticesBuildingMaterialsReuseIndustryFi
nalv2.pdf. Two of the reuse centers that serve as national models for best practices are
described below.
Habitat for Humanity Restore, Kansas City, Missouri: The store, part of the large national
network of ReStores, opened in 2000. The deconstruction portion of the operation began
in 2002. The store is located in a highly industrial part of town by the river. It is not a
walk-by location. However, it is close to the highway, and the building is large and ideal
for this kind of operation. The building is owned by the city, which rents to the store at a
below-market price. The ReStore fits with the city’s development goals for the area,
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
which include other recycling and facilities. The state of Missouri is divided into solid
waste management districts, each of which offers some grant money for programs to
encourage waste diversion. The store has received grant money through this program and
through the state Department of Natural Resources. This has allowed the business to
grow – for example, the ReStore recently built a lumber barn in which to store lumber.
The ReStore partners with The ReUse People on deconstruction projects including one to
train demolition contractors to perform deconstruction. They have made connections
through organizations like the National Association of Remodelers and National
Association of Home Builders. Many of their clients are developers and builders who
regularly demolish multiple houses. These connections lead to a diversity of inventory.
Customers are especially interested in kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks,
bathtubs, etc.), ceramic tile, and lumber. They also sell large quantities of paint, which
they price low. The ReStore encourages green design and serves as a model itself. They
have a 400,000-square-foot rain garden, sell rain barrels, give classes on making rain
barrels, and have an extensive recycling program.
The Rebuilding Center of Our United Villages, Portland, Oregon: The ReBuilding
Center, a project of the non-profit organization Our United Villages, opened in 1998 and
moved to a 24,000-square-foot warehouse in 1999. In 2005, the center added 40,000
square feet of developed property. The store is located in a large warehouse in a location
that is convenient to customers and in a neighborhood that could benefit from the center’s
job opportunities.
The customer base is broad, ranging from someone seeking a $5 door to someone seeking
a $500 door. Customers come from all over Portland regardless of income level, as
Portland residents are extremely environmentally minded. Customers include many do-it-
yourselfers, and are generally people who care about the environment and are willing to
take the time required to search through items in the store. Donors of building materials
from deconstructed houses range across the economic spectrum, but tend to be higher-
income.
In addition to retail sales, the Rebuilding Center offers deconstruction services; gives
popular classes on topics such as “Instrument Making From Recycled Materials” and
“Plumbing Workshops: Install a Toilet”; operates ReFind Furniture: Sustainable Designs
Using Reclaimed Materials, where salvaged materials are made into furniture and other
higher-priced items (these items are displayed in a “showroom” within the main store);
hosts classes to assist students to transform discarded building materials into new items;
and engages in community outreach activities that support the mission of Our United
Villages.
Additionally, the Rebuilding Center regrades salvaged lumber. This is done by an
employee trained and qualified by West Coast Lumber Graders to carry out this function.
The Rebuilding Center also has its own grade stamp, which allows it to grade only used
lumber and only on its own premises. According to a Rebuilding Center manager,
carrying out this service does not result in any additional cost for the store as the
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
employee who regrades lumber is a regular store employee who does so as one additional
line item on his job description. The store pays a monthly fee to West Coast Lumber
Graders in order to maintain its qualification to regrade. The manager noted that the
store’s sales of regraded lumber offset the cost of the monthly fee, as well as adding
value and education. He also stated that they receive positive feedback from building
inspectors, who appreciate the effort to reduce waste.
Regarding concerns about contamination, it is important to note that some reuse centers
do sell painted materials. For example, the Rebuilding Center of Our United Villages
sells painted wood materials, but only if the paint is not flaking, chipping, or otherwise
coming loose from the piece. A store manager conducts “paint condition” training with
employees to enable them to identify which painted wood pieces can and cannot be sold.
In order to provide a warning about the possible presence of LBP and information about
how to protect oneself from LBP, the center puts lead warning stickers that include EPA
contact information on all painted pieces, and posts signage about LBP in the store. A
Rebuilding Center manager noted that customers “really appreciate the education,” which
they can apply not only to items purchased at the store, but also more generally to LBP
that may exist in the pre-1978 homes of many of the store’s customers.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
VII. Policy Incentives for Increasing Building Deconstruction and
Material Reuse
Policy and programmatic reforms can help the market to overcome the barriers we
discussed previously. Any policy requirement or incentive that is established must be
bolstered with a strong foundation of public, private and nonprofit sector education,
outreach, and technical assistance. Once a government agency takes a step to require or
encourage deconstruction and reuse, those affected will immediately seek out practical,
nuts-and-bolts information about how to conduct these processes. Thus, this
informational infrastructure must support the shift from demolition and disposal to
deconstruction, reuse, and a green economy.
This section of the report is divided into two parts: suggested policy reforms specific to
the Chicago region and those that are more generally applicable. In our conclusion, we
suggest initial steps that can get building deconstruction and material reuse activity off
the ground in Chicago.
Regional policy context
The City of Chicago and State of Illinois currently have promulgated several
requirements and programs that encourage building deconstruction and material reuse.
These include:
• The Environmental Action Agenda, issued by the City in 2006, identifies goals for
recycling of construction waste: 25 percent in 2010 and 50 percent in 2020;
• The Chicago Climate Action Plan, issued by the City in 2008, notes that a 90 percent
reduction in waste trucked to landfills by 2020 could net about a .84 million metric
tons drop in emissions, and that actions to reduce, reuse and recycle must increase.
Chicago’s overall goal is to reach an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions from 1990 levels by 2050, with the sharpest reductions occurring by 2020.
• The City of Chicago Construction and Demolition Diversion Ordinance requires
diversion of 50 percent of construction and demolition debris from qualifying
projects. It includes helpful information such as a publication on best management
practices, “Chicago’s Guide to Construction & Demolition Cleanliness & Recycling”
and a listing of recyclers.
• The City of Chicago’s Green Permit Program, administered by the Department of
Construction and Permits, which offers expedited permitting (and waiver of
consultant code review fees in some cases) for projects that incorporate innovative
green building strategies. Commercial projects must earn various levels of
certification within the appropriate LEED rating system; smaller residential projects
must meet or exceed US EPA’s EnergyStar requirements. In addition, many projects
must apply certain strategies or technologies selected from a list of menu items that
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
enhance sustainability, expand affordability, stimulate economic development, and
increase accessibility. Menu items pertaining to sustainability include water
management, natural ventilation, green roofs, and renewable energy. While
developers could undertake salvage/reuse as a component of achieving LEED
certification, these activities are not specifically addressed.
• The Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s Sustainable Development
Policy “applies to all new Redevelopment Agreements, Planned Developments, Site
Plan Approvals and Amendments to existing Planned Developments reviewed by the
Department of Planning and Development’s weekly Design Review Committee after
December 1, 2007” and requires that specific types and sizes of projects meet green
requirements that include LEED certification and green roofs. While reuse could be
undertaken as a component of achieving LEED certification, salvage and reuse are
not specifically included in the policy.
• The Chicago Standard, a set of construction standards for City of Chicago public
buildings that consists of 46 practices and technologies from the LEED rating system.
The “Materials & Resources” category offers points for building reuse, use of
regional materials, and resource reuse. LEED offers incentives for reuse, but has the
potential to be strengthened in these areas.
• The State of Illinois provides information and incentives related to C&D recycling
and reuse. For example, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center provides a guide
entitled, “Illinois Construction and Demolition Debris Reuse/Recycling Options and
Contacts,” and can help builders find viable sources for recycling construction waste,
establish job-site recycling programs, and identify waste recycling firms that offer
unique construction contracts. The Illinois Housing Development Authority’s pilot
green building program for mixed-income housing offers points for reuse of materials
as part of the "green points" that can be earned in order to receive scoring points
under the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Allocation Plan.
Suggestions for Reform
Based on best practices for deconstruction and building material reuse discussed in the
previous section, our literature review, and interviews with policymakers, practitioners,
and other experts, we have identified the following policy requirements, incentives, and
education, training and technical assistance activities that could increase deconstruction
and building material reuse and make these activities a priority green building issue in the
Chicago region.
Public requirements
Expand the scope of the City of Chicago’s Construction and Demolition (C&D)
Diversion Ordinance: The City of Chicago’s construction and demolition ordinance,
passed by the City Council in 2005, states that projects subject to this law “shall be
required to recycle or reuse construction or demolition debris produced on site as part of
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
construction or demolition activities” – 25 percent for projects issued permits in 2006 and
50 percent for projects issued permits in 2007 and after. This ordinance represents an
important step in the right direction. However, it does not prioritize reuse over recycling;
in other words, it does not require that a proportion of materials be reused if feasible or
that the possibility of reuse be considered. Moreover the ordinance does not require a
Waste Management Plan, as many other similar ordinances do. Such plans require
developers to research and consider methods of diverting materials beyond recycling,
including reuse. Most importantly, the ordinance does not apply to construction or
demolition of smaller buildings or single-family houses. The ordinance does apply to all
renovation projects that require a certificate of occupancy from the Department of
Buildings but these are limited to construction of new residential buildings with four or
more units; construction of new non-residential buildings of more than 4,000 square feet;
demolition of residential buildings with four or more units that includes demolition of at
least one outside wall; and demolition of non-residential buildings of more than 4,000
square feet.
In order to strengthen this ordinance, we suggest that it be modified to:
• Require a Waste Management Plan that would indicate the estimated volume or
weight of the project C&D material, by material type, to be generated; the
maximum volume or weight of such materials that can feasibly be diverted via
reuse or recycling; material proposed to be salvaged, reused, or recycled during
the course of the project; the facility which the applicant proposes to use to collect
or receive the materials; and the estimated volume or weight of C&D materials
that will be landfilled.
• Include smaller buildings and single-family homes.
• Include separate lines for amount of C&D recycled and amount of C&D reused
on the required recycling compliance forms. Currently, only one line is provided,
for a combined recycled/reused total.
Reform permitting process to require consideration of deconstruction over demolition:
The City and other municipalities should require that deconstruction be considered in
conjunction with or as a replacement for demolition as a condition for issuing a
demolition permit. The City could provide information about deconstruction to
demolition permit applicants. The City may also want to extend the waiting period before
buildings can be demolished during which time the structure could be made available to
properly trained and insured deconstruction personnel to salvage as many materials as
possible before the eventual demolition.
Mandate deconstruction training for demolition contractors: The City of Chicago or the
State of Illinois could mandate that all demolition companies attend deconstruction
seminars prior to the issuance of demolition permits. Contractors could be required to
attend continuing education courses - including those that pertain to deconstruction – in
order to maintain their licenses.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Build reuse requirements into publicly subsidized redevelopment programs: The City of
Chicago does not mandate pre-demolition salvage, deconstruction, or reuse in the RFPs
that govern the disposition of public land or in publicly funded projects. As part of the
RFP process, Chicago and other municipalities can require materials recovery or reuse,
require a salvage period, and/or offer additional points in the bidding process for
deconstruction and high material recovery rates. For subsidized projects like HOPE VI or
those using Tax Increment Financing, the City can require pre-demolition salvage or
deconstruction of housing units being taken down. The Department of Planning and
Development could require developers of redevelopment projects to review building
components in structures scheduled for demolition to assess their reuse potential.
Limit amount of C&D debris in landfills: The Illinois EPA should consider restricting the
amount of construction and demolition materials that can be deposited in landfills. This
agency could require that landfills charge fees based on volume rather than weight or
load of waste materials. Since C&D materials such as lumber tend to be higher in volume
than weight, this would serve as an incentive to divert C&D materials. The Illinois
Department of Revenue may also want to consider applying the sales tax to tipping fees.
Public Incentives
Offer deconstruction permit: The City could offer a “Dedicated Deconstruction
Permitting” that allows for the additional time that deconstruction requires and reduces
fees relative to those charged for demolition permits. Permit fees could be calibrated to
the amount of materials recovered.
Offer points under Green Permitting/Green Building programs for deconstruction and
reuse. All of these very influential programs mentioned above could add points
specifically for deconstruction, diversion for reuse, and reuse of building materials. For
example, the Green Permit Program, which offers incentives considered very valuable to
developers, could award extra points for these particular activities. The Sustainable
Development Policy could require one or more activities related to deconstruction or
reuse, much in the same way that it currently requires a green roof for certain projects.
Support reuse centers by providing grants, low-interest loans, publicity, tax incentives,
and other assistance: The City and State can support reuse centers by providing below-
market rents on publicly owned warehouse space or selling public space to reuse stores
for below-market value. These entities could also publicize the work of reuse centers (for
example, distributing information about them at mortgage closings). The State could also
reduce sales taxes for purchases of used building materials.
State or federal tax credits could be offered for donation of building materials resulting
from deconstruction in order to address the lack of a financial incentive for tax-exempt
building owners – who are not eligible for the tax deduction for donated materials – to
deconstruct their buildings. Secondary markets for tax credits exist so that recipients who
do not pay income taxes, such as non-profits, can sell them to investors who could benefit
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
from the credit. As an example, a Chicago company that manufactures rooftop solar
systems has set up a process for transferring tax credits for tax-exempt buyers of solar
systems to investors who can make use of the credit.
Support deconstruction training: In order to establish deconstruction as a regular practice,
it is necessary to have a large enough workforce that is trained to do deconstruction. The
City should fund training programs designed specifically to build deconstruction
assessment and planning skills. Such programs could be included in the Green Jobs
Initiative that is part of the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Incorporate deconstruction and reuse into affordable housing programs: Currently,
deconstruction and reuse are not integrated into affordable housing programs in Chicago
and Illinois in a consistent fashion. Designing for the use of used building materials in
large mixed-income housing complexes can be difficult as there is a need for uniform
doors, windows and similar items. However, salvaged lumber and brick could potentially
be used even in larger buildings.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority’s (IHDA) Green Housing Initiatives
Program includes a portion on reuse. Under the program, projects must earn a certain
number of “green points” in order to receive either one, two or three tax credit points
under the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Allocation Plan. The
program is currently in a pilot phase. Components of the program that offer incentives for
reuse include use of recycled/recovered content underlayment; recycled/recovered
content gypsum wallboard; recycled/recovered content siding; reused wood flooring from
reused, recovered or re-milled sources; cabinet fronts – reclaimed or re-milled; and
outdoor materials – minimum recycled content material. The program could be
strengthened by adding reused materials in addition to engineered wood alternatives for
lumber for roof framing and floor framing, and other engineered alternatives for lumber;
shelving and countertops – recycled particleboard/ MDF/ agricultural waste; and
reconstituted and/or recycled content interior doors. Following the lead of the U.S. Green
Building Council, IHDA could serve an important function in connecting green builders
with reuse stores and deconstruction contractors. For the sake of clarity and consistency,
it may be helpful for state and local policymakers to focus on one green building standard
for affordable housing rather than the several that currently exist.
Public Education, Training and Technical Assistance
Carry out high-profile public deconstruction demonstration project: The City or State
could publicize the project widely (city website, outreach to newspapers, TV and other
media); invite residents to observe the process and to purchase salvaged materials; and
provide written information describing the process and resources.
Provide or support training, education and outreach about building deconstruction and
material reuse: Chicago and other municipalities could make information about
deconstruction readily available and distribute it to anyone applying for a permit,
especially demolition permits. They could also help to link those applying for demolition
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
permits to deconstruction companies. The City or State could provide education and
outreach to architects, who are increasingly referring their clients to deconstruction
service organizations; developers, who are also increasingly requesting the services of
deconstruction service organizations; professional organizations (American Institute of
Architects and others); and trade associations (contractors, homebuilders, carpenters,
etc.). It could provide up-to-date information about end markets, including directories
and materials exchanges in a multi-disciplinary handbook. If the public sector did not
wish to take on the task itself, it could support an intermediary organization that would
work directly with contractors. WasteCap Wisconsin, described in the previous section,
is a model for this kind of assistance. The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign already performs a number of these
functions; perhaps its role could be expanded.
Draft model C&D diversion ordinance: The State of Illinois could draft a model
construction and demolition diversion ordinance for jurisdictions to use in creating their
own ordinances.
Inventory abandoned buildings to assess deconstruction potential: The City can assess
abandoned buildings and those scheduled for demolition to identify good candidates for
deconstruction projects. They can make this database of information available to the
public.
Support statewide recycling and reuse associations: The State could work with state and
city recycling and reuse associations to increase awareness of deconstruction techniques.
Sponsoring conferences and Internet web sites that advertise the organizations and
businesses involved in building material recovery and reuse would be helpful.
Additional Policy Recommendations
Develop re-grading system for salvaged lumber: Researchers at the USDA Forest
Products Laboratory are developing a grade stamp that could be used for reclaimed
materials to show the material’s grade and thus its acceptable use under a municipal
building code. The first step in the re-grading process is to identify the local grading
agency; these agencies are based on region and must be accredited by the Board of
Review of the American Lumber Standards Committee (Kibert and Languell 2000). The
Forest Stewardship Council’s labeling system indicates that lumber is from a sustainably
managed forest. This system could potentially include salvaged lumber.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Provide guidance on contamination issues: Asbestos: Various incentives noted in this
report could help to equalize the additional time and expense of abating asbestos as part
of deconstruction. For example, if the City’s permitting process were allow for the
additional time that deconstruction requires, contractors would have additional time for
asbestos abatement. Similarly, a reduced or waived permitting fee for deconstruction
could also ease the burden of additional asbestos work. Additionally, for all demolition
and deconstruction projects, a municipality could require the complete removal of
hazardous materials, and separate bids for this expensive work, in order to level the
playing field (Leroux and Seldman 1999/2000).
Lead Paint: It would be helpful for federal agencies to either modify existing regulations
or develop new regulations that provide standards and/or guidance for reuse of materials
that contain lead-based paint. This would address the disincentive that the current
ambiguity creates to reusing high-quality materials that are painted. The EPA, in
collaboration with other regulatory agencies, could “provide clear guidance on
appropriate methods and practices for salvaging and reusing LBP-coated building
materials, specifically LBP-coated lumber and timber materials” (Napier et al 2005). In
particular, these agencies could:
• Establish reasonable requirements for warning labels or markings that follow a
consistent format and are based on realistic scenarios of reuse. For example, does
the reuse of a painted wood stud as wall framing (normally enclosed within the
wall cavity) require the same level of concern as a salvaged window painted with
LBP?
• Consider and address issues of legal responsibility regarding the reuse of
underlying wood materials once the LBP coating has been removed through
remanufacture. Clarify the chain-of-custody responsibility for future removal,
salvage, reuse or demolition.
• Quantify the acceptable lead content of materials reprocessed from LBP-coated
wood materials. Distinguish between the amount of lead allowable on the
material’s surface (similar to a coating or film) and in the body of the material.
• Develop guidance and regulation for lead exposure, thresholds and content for
materials being removed, the process of removal, materials intended for
remanufacture and reuse, and materials considered hazardous waste.
• Establish Best Management Practices for removing LBP-containing materials
from a structure, handling materials, removing paint or conducting other
reprocessing or remanufacture activities, transferring materials from one party to
another, and reusing the materials, either with or without paint coating.
(Napier et al. 2005).
For the local context, it would also be useful for the Illinois EPA to address the reuse
issue in its guidance documents on handling, disposal and recycling of LBP waste and
LBP-contaminated materials. It would be helpful for the regional office of U.S. EPA to
provide guidance on contamination issues relevant to local conditions.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Integrate deconstruction and reuse into brownfield redevelopment: Applications for
grants under the U.S. EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Brownfields Cleanup and
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund grant programs can earn points in the grant
review process for “Sustainable Reuse of Brownfields,” which include the following
activities: “prevent pollution and reduce resource consumption through, e.g., brownfields
prevention, infrastructure reuse, native landscaping, innovative stormwater
management/reuse, construction debris/fill reuse.” The EPA should consider specifically
including deconstruction and building material reuse – excluding contaminated materials.
Additionally, U.S. EPA has been using case studies to show how deconstruction can help
brownfield developers recoup some of the costs of remediating a brownfield and enhance
the financial viability of the process. It may be helpful for the regional office of EPA as
well as other agencies such as HUD to develop and publicize case studies, pro formas
and other such information focusing on projects conducted in the region.
Incorporate incentives into federal redevelopment programs: Federal redevelopment
programs, such as HOPE VI, the Home Investment Partnership Program, Empowerment
Zones, and Enterprise Communities, could use a bonus point system to create incentives
for non-profit and local government agencies that incorporate deconstruction-related
activities or building material reuse into proposals. Information about deconstruction and
reuse could be integrated into HUD's "PATH Guide to Green Building". The PATH
(Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) program provides tools and
information for integrating advanced building technologies into housing projects.
Upgrade U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system: As discussed in the “Best
Practices” section, the LEED rating system is an extremely important incentive for green
building practices, including deconstruction and reuse. The standards will likely evolve to
put an even greater emphasis on reuse. The standards could be further strengthened by
prioritizing reuse over recycling, rather than offering points for the more generic
“diversion.” It could offer more points for reuse – LEED-NC, for example, offers just
one point for reusing building materials. Moreover, the reuse section of the LEED
standards for new construction and major renovations could be strengthened to include a
percentage of reused materials above the current 5 to 10 percent. Additionally, the
USGBC can be an important partner in providing information and resources on reuse.
Develop educational programs about the value of reuse: Professional associations and
universities should develop programs to teach the importance of and techniques of
“designing for deconstruction” or “designing for disassembly.” This could include those
in architecture, engineering, industrial design, interior design and public policy, among
other academic areas. It is also important to make use of education to begin to change
people’s mindsets about reuse at an early age. Designing and carrying out programs for a
wide range of audiences, from schoolchildren to professionals, can increase
understanding about the importance of reuse and of consuming and diverting materials
responsibly (Jacoby 2001).
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Encourage design-for-disassembly and modular construction: According to Boston
Consulting Group (2008), modular construction can reduce waste by 25 percent or more.
In modular (or “prefabricated”) construction, building components are assembled off-site,
with potential to reduce waste in the construction process due to building to standard
sizes, increasing recycling and reuse, reducing packaging and designing for
deconstruction.
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Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
VIII. Conclusion
The market for used building materials in the Chicago region exists but, at present, is
undeveloped. Institutional gaps on the supply and demand side hinder both the ability of
C&D materials to maintain their condition for resale and the ability of contractors to sell
these surplus products to final users. In particular the region lacks deconstruction
specialists who could take buildings apart while preserving materials and construction
contractors who have integrated waste management into their operations. It also lacks a
sufficient number of reuse businesses that specialize, not in architectural treasures, but in
good-quality building materials that can be sold at low prices.
Our analysis reveals that sufficient demand and supply currently exists to support a
35,000 square foot reuse store conveniently located along a major arterial or expressway
in one of the three clusters of Chicago hot spot neighborhoods. Salvaged materials from
deconstruction projects in the city and suburbs should be able to reach the reuse center
within an hour, and the store may want to consider investing in or renting trucks that can
pick up materials from donations sites. Partnering with some of the home improvement
stores and independent haulers in the region may also increase the shipment of good-
quality products and “seconds” to the reuse center. Partnering with non-profit home
improvement organizations, such as Neighborhood Housing Services, and with
professional associations of developers, builders, and contractors, such as the Chicago
Rehab Network, can help shore up the demand side. Marketing the store to migrant-
based community organizations and to new homeowners in the hot spot neighborhoods
will also increase demand.
We also anticipate that demand for such a facility will increase over time as several
trends play themselves out. A growing ecological awareness is influencing consumption
patterns. Building owners are becoming more concerned about the waste they are
generating through construction and demolition processes and may choose deconstruction
over demolition and used materials over new ones. Moreover buying used has the
potential save not only consumers money but also building owners and developers who
will likely have to pay higher fees for dumping debris in landfill in the near future. This
is why building material reuse stores across the country are reporting increased sales
despite the current recession. Moreover, on the labor market side, deconstruction is
becoming an oft-mentioned “green job” that has the potential to replace some of the
manufacturing jobs that have been lost, while offering a path to additional opportunities
in the construction industry and the skilled trades. If these building and labor market
trends continue, it is likely that a larger reuse center or additional ones could be supported
in the region.
There is always the risk, however, that the market will not develop to its full potential on
its own. As such, the reuse store will need the support of local governments in terms of
policies and programs that encourage and promote deconstruction and reuse. In the long
term, a combination of public requirements, incentives, education, information, and
58
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
technical assistance can establish building deconstruction and building material reuse
activity and helping to develop a market.
In the short term, the most effective ways to establish these activities quickly in the
Chicago region would be for the City of Chicago and other municipal governments to
offer a new deconstruction permit that is provided more quickly and less expensively (or,
ideally, free of charge) than a demolition permit. When a deconstruction permit is issued,
municipalities will want to ensure that the building was in fact deconstructed rather than
demolished. The municipality could 1) require that a deconstruction contract be attached
to the permit application, or 2) when the deconstruction work is complete but before a
building permit is issued, it could require written validation that C&D materials were
reused. We would also suggest that the City of Chicago add deconstruction and reuse to
its Green Permit Program’s menu of sustainable investments.
These two incentives should be supported with extensive information and resources about
deconstruction and reuse. In this area, cost- and time-effective actions for the City of
Chicago to undertake include:
1. Carrying out a public deconstruction demonstration project that is widely
publicized, includes a strong educational component, and invites the public to
observe the actual process and purchase salvaged items;
2. Unveiling a new website that contains comprehensive, nuts-and-bolts information
and resources about how to carry out deconstruction and reuse; and
3. Incorporating a strong deconstruction and reuse element into plans for Chicago’s
Olympic bid. For example, the City could announce that all temporary buildings
to be constructed for the Olympics will be deconstructed and the materials either
donated for reuse or reused in municipal building projects, and that at least one
new permanent building for the Olympics will be designed for future disassembly.
This combination of high-profile projects, valuable incentives, and practical information
would catalyze deconstruction and reuse activity in Chicago.
In addition to actions that could be undertaken by Chicago and other municipalities, the
State of Illinois could play an important part in helping to establish deconstruction and
reuse statewide by providing financial or other assistance for developing educational
resources, offering job training on deconstruction, and supporting workshops for
developers, contractors, and design professionals. The State also plays a critical
regulatory role in legislating C&D materials out of the waste stream. Limiting the
amount of such materials that can be disposed of in landfills would provide both a strong
message and a financial incentive for contractors to explore reuse options. Moreover, the
federal government is also likely to play an important role in the near future. Funding
programs for “green job” creation appear to be increasing, with President-elect Obama
stating that development of a green economy will be a cornerstone of the imminent
economic stimulus plan. Channeling these monies toward deconstruction training and
reuse accomplish both economic and ecological goals.
59
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
All policies and programs should be evaluated before and after they are implemented to
ensure that the economic and environmental benefits outweigh any administrative
expenses. For example, the City of Chicago could track the number of projects applying
for a Green Permit that included deconstruction and reuse. Using accepted algorithms,
they could easily convert the square footage of the project into a volume of materials that
have been diverted from landfills.
Many of the incentives for deconstruction and reuse we have suggested are relatively
costless modifications of existing policies and programs and require little more than some
up-front investment in time. Others – such as restricting C&D materials from landfills –
would be more politically involved and labor intensive. Regardless, it is clear that the
public sector plays an important role in steering the market in a direction that breaks the
cycle of over-consumption and waste.
60
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Appendix A
Technical Appendix
Methodology
For this study the approach for estimating the volume of residential C&D debris
produced in Chicago and select Cook County municipalities was, in its basic structure:
[Activity level of construction, renovation, and demolition converted into square feet]
X
[Per square foot debris generation rate per activity]1
In calculating C&D produced in Chicago, permit data was provided by the City of
Chicago’s Department of Buildings and for Cook County municipalities, U.S. Census
Building Permit data for 2007 was used. Demolition counts were provided for 8
(Evanston, Glencoe, Golf, Kenilworth, Northfield, Oak Park, Wilmette, and Winnetka)
out of the 14 municipalities while the remaining 6 demolition counts were calculated
using an average demolition rate (demolitions/ total housing units).
Cleaning the Data
Because a number of Building and Renovation records omitted square footage data,
average square footage and square footage-to-declared value ratios were substituted as
follows:
For single-family construction and renovation records with omitted square footage data,
the average square footage of remaining records was calculated after omitting outliers
greater than 10,000 square feet. The average was then substituted for those records
without square footage data.
The greater variation in the size of multi-family construction and renovation permit
records made substituting an average square footage for omitted data unreliable. For
multi-family records with square footage, the ratio of square footage-to-declared value
was estimated and the median ratio was applied to declared values to calculate square
footage where missing. Large records of over 1 million square feet were omitted both to
ensure conservative estimates with uncertain data and because this would not reflect the
near future yields.
Because demolition permits omitted square footage data as well as occupancy code
classifications, the following assumptions were used to conservatively approximate the
proportion of demolitions that were residential and the size in square feet of the
1
Conversion algorithms from EPA 1998. Similar waste calculations have been
performed by Cochran et al. 2006 and by Wang et al. 2004
61
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
demolitions undertaken. Using the Greater Chicago Housing and Community
Development website’s database the proportion of residential, single and multi-family,
residential demolition permits for the year 2004 was examined and applied to the total
number of demolition permits for 2007. The numbers of single-family demolition
permits and multi-family demolition permits were multiplied by EPA provided estimates
of typical size (square footage) of homes demolished. Homes demolished are on average
older and so smaller than average home size today. Single-family homes were estimated
at 1,600 square feet, multi-family homes at 1,000 per unit and 2 units per multi-family
demolition permit. Total square footage was multiplied by the respective single and
multi-family demolition debris generation rates provided by the EPA.
Limitations
As stated earlier, nearly 45% of renovation permit records omitted occupancy codes, and
so the total yield of residential C&D debris may be an underestimate. However, EPA
provided algorithms are largely based on suburban or small city point source observations
and so could over estimate the total debris yield for Chicago. Demolition data provided
lacked square footage and occupancy code data which may mean that the total yield of
residential C&D debris is over- or under-estimated. In addition un-permitted renovation
and demolition activity cannot accurately be quantified. Taken together, however, these
issues may cancel each other out.
62
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Appendix B
List of Interviewees
Two directors of the Building Materials Reuse Association
Four employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Employee of the City of Chicago Department of Environment
Employee of the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development
Two employees of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Three general contractors working in Chicago area
Chicago-based affordable housing developer
Chris Bekemeier and Shane Endicott, The ReBuilding Center of Our United Villages,
Portland, Oregon
Ken Barnes, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
Dave Hampton, Echo Studio and Urban Habitat Chicago
Milan Kluko, Fountainhead Engineering
Jenna Kunde, WasteCap Wisconsin
Shoshanna Lenski, Boston Consulting Group
Don Reck and Brian Alferman, Kansas City ReStore
Ted Reiff and Ken Ortiz, The ReUse People
Jodi Murphy, Murco
Doug Widener, U.S. Green Building Council – Chicago Chapter
63
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
Appendix C
Sample Deconstruction Plan
64
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
65
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
66
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
67
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
68
Market Analysis of Construction and Demolition Material Reuse in the Chicago Region
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